Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Sabbath and Verse

“Sabbath is a weekly invitation to go nowhere, to believe that hiddenness is part of presence,” writes L.L. Barkat in God in the Yard: Spiritual Practice for the Rest of Us.This isn’t so much about the Sabbath being a time to rest so you can be more productive the rest of the week, …”but more in the sense of rhythm that sees nowhere-somewhere, presence-hiddenness, as inextricably linked, with God on both sides of the dance.”

And where she finds the strongest analogy is in her journey with poetry.

Sabbaths, or Sundays, for me are (usually) the slowest day of the week. There’s a routine: church, lunch out somewhere, nap, some writing, working out at the Y (or a bike ride), maybe some yard work like heading back the roses, reading and some more writing. It doesn’t sound slow, but it is. And it’s quiet. Sundays are (usually) the quietest day of the week around our house. But it’s definitely slower-paced than the rest of the week.

And Sunday, for me, is about poetry. Reading it and writing it.

This started more than a year ago. And during the pastor’s sermon, no less. He said some things as I was taking notes, and I saw that my notes began to look something like a poem.Later, I played with it some, and it became a poem.

What’s happened in the interim is that I now firmly connect Sundays, worship and poetry, which I could call “Sabbath and Verse.”

Here’s what I wrote this past Sunday.

Sprinklers on Sunday

I set the sprinklers out because
we needed rain, and
it did. Later
the rain washed the stones
and the colored
panes of polished sand,
cocooning the living hearts
within.

10 comments:

Kathleen Overby said...

For the first time ever you made me consider that beach glass is 'polished sand' returning home. Wow.

Anonymous said...

i like
the sabbath and verse
the poem
and kathleen's comment

Billy Coffey said...

That was awesome, Glynn.

Louise Gallagher said...

Truly awesome

And I like the sabbath and verse
and the poem
and yup
Kathleen's comment too!

Duane Scott said...

Our hearts are like those stones. Needing the refreshing rain of the Spirit to wash over us. That's what Sundays are for.

Maureen said...

Sabbath and Verse: That would make a great title for a book.

Lovely imagery.

Michael said...

Loved the poem. "I set the sprinklers out because we needed rain, and it did." I must have read that one line 15 times.

herbhalstead said...

I agree that Sabbath is so much more than "rest" - it is more about what we do in that rest - resting by sleeping is not celebrating sabbath - resting by meditating on God, worshiping God, and praising God is the kind of rest Sabbath infers - the modes of expressing these can be as varied as we are. Love your thoughts.

S. Etole said...

A book of your sabbath verse would be an enjoyable read indeed ...

Laura said...

Oh, that poem, Glynn! You should have saved it for next week...:)I guess you'll have to share another one. Wait and see :)