Space to write, space to create and space to let the spirit speak.
Write Now!
This blog started as a 'Lenten Writing Project', where we wrote each day in Lent. Now that Summer is here, let's keep up the discipline of writing with a weekly writing challenge! A prompt will be posted each week and anyone is welcome to join in and post their writing here or participate just by reading it.
Every writer has their own special light to add to this blog and all of your writing offerings are appreciated, whether poetry, prose, essay, thoughts, lists or comments and encouragement.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Lenten Writing Prompt #13
Pick a Bible verse or story from the Old Testament and write your thoughts, critiques, comments and/or praises about it.
“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork”. —Psalm 19.1
I remember a crisp, cold, clear night in a Wisconsin winter when I was about 8 years old. Daddy and I finally finished the chores in the barn. Daddy turned off the last lights, and took my hand to cross the farmyard to the house.
As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I looked up into the sky. I stopped, enraptured by the sight of all the stars. As I watched, the stars seemed to move into a slow dance. I sensed stars beyond stars beyond stars; I experienced infinity. I was speechless in the presence of God’s almighty power.
"Remember oh Israel.....' It wasn't too many years ago that someone pointed out how many times these words are spoken in the old testament. "Remember..."
We live in a time where the past is either idolized or run away from. It can be a spiritual discipline or just a powerful human experience to really remember the joy, the wonder and even the tragedy of the past in some kind of honesty.
We cannot know the future as much as we try. But the past can often reassure us of God's love, of the reality of good times, that troubles can be survived and that dreams continue to be born.
Remembering is one of the reasons writers write. It is one of the great gifts families and friends can share - remembering together.
My maternal Grandparents immigrated from the Lofoton Islands of Norway in the early 1900's. They homesteaded in the grasslands of North Dakota. Can you imagine the change that must have been for people of the sea? When I think of how hard they worked, with five young children, starting out in a sod "house" I'm in awe.
One of my cousins, Nancy, and I have often shared and mused about the bravery and unselfishness of our Grandparents. We share our thankful thoughts.
Nancy grew up on the homestead. She often paints verbal word pictures for me about the beauty of the country around her home on the edge of the North Unit of the Badlands. A rough and rugged country still to this day. I love it the most when she talks of the cattle in the fields and on the hills where they graze. Her word pictures match my Mother's from long, long ago.
Nancy often reminds me that the land, the crops, and the cattle belong to God. He is loaning them to us; His children, and we are wealthy beyond measure. The sound of her voice repeating Psalm 50: 10-11, is forever in my soul.
"For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine."
Let me get a bit narcissistic here for a moment: I have always been slightly fascinated by the book of Ruth. As a kid, I always heard “Oh, it’s a beautiful love story in the Bible”. I always felt like Ruth was so co-dependent with all her ‘wither thou goest’ stuff…Come on, lady! Go your own way and make your own story in this world! However, as a college student and an adult, I dug a little deeper into this love story and here is what I found: As we know, Ruth’s husband dies and she chooses to follow Naomi, her mother in law instead of stay with her own ‘people’. BTW, forgive any inaccuracies in this – I think I have the story straight without looking it up, but I’m living in a house with double ear-infections, respiratory issues currently and medicine that I just haven’t found the right marketing for in order to dispense it successfully to my 2-year old…just go with me here – Anyway, Naomi was a different religion than Ruth with an uncertain future, but Ruth stuck with her, even though it meant that she would be an ‘outsider’ in Naomi’s world, which it was not all cool and Matt-Dillon movie-ish to be in Bible times. When they got to their new home, Ruth’s job was to gather the grains left behind by the ‘real’ workers of the field. That…does not sound like an awesome position to be in. People were probably not saying, “hey, Ruth, here are some great grains that we left behind just for you!” They were probably treating her like a person that has ‘outsider’ germs, to put it mildly. So Boaz notices her. Probably falls in love with her and Naomi devises a plan to help Ruth become his wife. Ruth is a good person – She is kind and stuck by Naomi when she needed someone to support her – though they probably supported each other. The whole love story part follows, but what really stuck out in my mind was when it says Boaz ‘spread his protective cloak’ over Ruth. I really think that this is to say: even though Ruth was an outsider – particularly a different religion, good people are good people and are seen by God beyond the little box they or society puts around themselves. I believe that Boaz symbolizes God in this story and that it is a parable to say that you should love your neighbor regardless of race class or creed because God would spread his protective wing (same shape as a spread cloak) over us all. The Bible verse about God caring for even the smallest sparrow ties in with this as well to me. I have no idea how this sits with those people that are more theologically versed than I, but this story is a lesson that I have taken to heart and lived by in my adulthood. Good people are good people and God loves us all.
(Yes, it's a late post as I wasn't thinking about anything other than the cold in head for a few days) The other aside I must make that even though the following from Isaiah is my favorite. This is a close second (Leviticus 3:165b "All fat is the Lord's." Nuff said. Isaiah 43: 1b, 2, 4 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, thery shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.... Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you,
Here is God the Mother and Father. Isaiah reminds the Israelites that God has been there watching in agony as they strayed from the Covenant, using their privileges, wealth and power for themselves, not being the people God meant them to be, a light for the world. They are now suffering the consequences of their actions, and like any parent, it is painful. Yet, the people are reminded that God is going with them into their suffering all the way and will be there through their darkest days.
As a parent and as God's daughter, this illuminates the depths of God's love for me.
by Pat Mason
ReplyDeletePsalms 56:6 "When I am afraid, I will trust you."
The word 'afraid' also means to me to be uncertain, to not understand, to be confused, anxious or worried.
When the world makes no sense, when love is not returned, when justice is not served, or when despair wins the day, we are left to trust God.
How then, can we not be optimistic?....come what may.
“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork”. —Psalm 19.1
ReplyDeleteI remember a crisp, cold, clear night in a Wisconsin winter when I was about 8 years old. Daddy and I finally finished the chores in the barn. Daddy turned off the last lights, and took my hand to cross the farmyard to the house.
As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I looked up into the sky. I stopped, enraptured by the sight of all the stars. As I watched, the stars seemed to move into a slow dance. I sensed stars beyond stars beyond stars; I experienced infinity. I was speechless in the presence of God’s almighty power.
Earth 's crammed with heaven...
DeleteBut only he who sees, takes off his shoes.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
oooohhhh...Love it.
Delete"Remember oh Israel.....' It wasn't too many years ago that someone pointed out how many times these words are spoken in the old testament. "Remember..."
ReplyDeleteWe live in a time where the past is either idolized or run away from. It can be a spiritual discipline or just a powerful human experience to really remember the joy, the wonder and even the tragedy of the past in some kind of honesty.
We cannot know the future as much as we try. But the past can often reassure us of God's love, of the reality of good times, that troubles can be survived and that dreams continue to be born.
Remembering is one of the reasons writers write. It is one of the great gifts families and friends can share - remembering together.
"Remember of Israel..."
The Cattle on a Thousand Hills
ReplyDeleteMy maternal Grandparents immigrated from the Lofoton Islands of Norway in the early 1900's. They homesteaded in the grasslands of North Dakota. Can you imagine the change that must have been for people of the sea? When I think of how hard they worked, with five young children, starting out in a sod "house" I'm in awe.
One of my cousins, Nancy, and I have often shared and mused about the bravery and unselfishness of our Grandparents. We share our thankful thoughts.
Nancy grew up on the homestead. She often paints verbal word pictures for me about the beauty of the country around her home on the edge of the North Unit of the Badlands. A rough and rugged country still to this day. I love it the most when she talks of the cattle in the fields and on the hills where they graze. Her word pictures match my Mother's from long, long ago.
Nancy often reminds me that the land, the crops, and the cattle belong to God. He is loaning them to us; His children, and we are wealthy beyond measure. The sound of her voice repeating Psalm 50: 10-11, is forever in my soul.
"For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the air,
and all that moves in the field is mine."
DyAnn Dennie
Beautiful DyAnn!
DeleteLet me get a bit narcissistic here for a moment: I have always been slightly fascinated by the book of Ruth. As a kid, I always heard “Oh, it’s a beautiful love story in the Bible”. I always felt like Ruth was so co-dependent with all her ‘wither thou goest’ stuff…Come on, lady! Go your own way and make your own story in this world! However, as a college student and an adult, I dug a little deeper into this love story and here is what I found:
ReplyDeleteAs we know, Ruth’s husband dies and she chooses to follow Naomi, her mother in law instead of stay with her own ‘people’. BTW, forgive any inaccuracies in this – I think I have the story straight without looking it up, but I’m living in a house with double ear-infections, respiratory issues currently and medicine that I just haven’t found the right marketing for in order to dispense it successfully to my 2-year old…just go with me here – Anyway, Naomi was a different religion than Ruth with an uncertain future, but Ruth stuck with her, even though it meant that she would be an ‘outsider’ in Naomi’s world, which it was not all cool and Matt-Dillon movie-ish to be in Bible times. When they got to their new home, Ruth’s job was to gather the grains left behind by the ‘real’ workers of the field. That…does not sound like an awesome position to be in. People were probably not saying, “hey, Ruth, here are some great grains that we left behind just for you!” They were probably treating her like a person that has ‘outsider’ germs, to put it mildly. So Boaz notices her. Probably falls in love with her and Naomi devises a plan to help Ruth become his wife. Ruth is a good person – She is kind and stuck by Naomi when she needed someone to support her – though they probably supported each other. The whole love story part follows, but what really stuck out in my mind was when it says Boaz ‘spread his protective cloak’ over Ruth. I really think that this is to say: even though Ruth was an outsider – particularly a different religion, good people are good people and are seen by God beyond the little box they or society puts around themselves. I believe that Boaz symbolizes God in this story and that it is a parable to say that you should love your neighbor regardless of race class or creed because God would spread his protective wing (same shape as a spread cloak) over us all. The Bible verse about God caring for even the smallest sparrow ties in with this as well to me. I have no idea how this sits with those people that are more theologically versed than I, but this story is a lesson that I have taken to heart and lived by in my adulthood. Good people are good people and God loves us all.
God is Here, Wherever, Whenever
ReplyDeleteby Marlene Obie
(Yes, it's a late post as I wasn't thinking about anything other than the cold in head for a few days) The other aside I must make that even though the following from Isaiah is my favorite. This is a close second (Leviticus 3:165b "All fat is the Lord's." Nuff said.
Isaiah 43: 1b, 2, 4
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, thery shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you....
Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you,
Here is God the Mother and Father. Isaiah reminds the Israelites that God has been there watching in agony as they strayed from the Covenant, using their privileges, wealth and power for themselves, not being the people God meant them to be, a light for the world. They are now suffering the consequences of their actions, and like any parent, it is painful. Yet, the people are reminded that God is going with them into their suffering all the way and will be there through their darkest days.
As a parent and as God's daughter, this illuminates the depths of God's love for me.