Peace

 Quotation from Black Elk, Medicine Man, Lakota Sioux
Advent meditation
St. John's Episcopal Church
Jamaica Plain, MA

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of men when they realize their relationship, their one-ness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that this center is really everywhere; it is within each of us.  This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.  The second peace is that which is made between two individuals and the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is first that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.

                                          Badlands National Park - South Dakota
                       Source: U.S. National Park Service; Photo Credit David McConeghy                  

Making the House Ready for the Lord

Making the House Ready for the Lord

by Mary Oliver, Thirst

Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but

Still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you.  Under the sink, for example, is an

uproar of mice—it is the season of their
many children.  What shall I do?  And under the eaves

and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season

when they need shelter, so what shall I do?  And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard

while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do?  Beautiful is the new snow falling

in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door.  And still I believe you will

come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know

that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon:  Come in, Come in.

                                         Source: Photo by V. Bern, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; displayed on Wikipedia

Let Us Prepare

November 28 -First Sunday in Advent


Let Us Prepare
by Jeanette Adams
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Teaneck, NJ

Snow is expected
the birds know
there they go
off to the left
in formation
dip low
bank right
circle
separate
re-group
soar

Advent approaches
we must prepare
where are the candles
the wreath, the crib
what are the prayers
the hymns, the hopes
who will take the babe to his bed
why must we wait
to walk in the light
Advent approaches
let us prepare

Source:  Photo by Brian Herman, "Outside My Window, A Bird Watcher's View of the World with Kate St. John" (http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/category/water-birds/page/4/)