The Birds of the Air
Every time we assist another creature—human or otherwise—through the pain of this life, even in a small way, we lighten our collective load.
nature
Come to the Water
"Every network blares / the same bad news. / Come away, / clutching your troubles / in tight fists / to where the water / will unravel you..."
Desire Lines
I’m intrigued with this notion of “desire lines,” a term I recently learned. Then again, I’ve known about them my whole life; I just called them short-cuts.
Attention is the Beginning of Devotion
Simply noticing the world around us isn't enough. “Real attention,” writes poet Mary Oliver, “needs empathy; attention without feeling is just a report.”
The Heron Lesson
In his poem "The Heron Lesson," former Resident Scholar Royal W. Rhodes writes: "The heron is not a symbol. / It is always a heron incarnate, / when it arrives and departs."
Get Ready for the God Show
If and when we actually pay attention, Creation will always humble us. So, get ready for the God Show: coming to Carbondale, Illinois for two minutes only.
What Kind of God Do You Want?
In this review of the book Grounded by Diana Butler Bass, Betsy Johnson-Miller wonders what is more dangerous: a distant God, or a customizable one?
Sabbaticaling in the Northwoods
In 1988, native New Yorker Joanmarie Smith spent a year at the Collegeville Institute as a Resident Scholar. Her tribute to "sabbaticaling" is a true gem.
The Sparrow
A poem by Rosalind C. Hughes, participant in The Writing Pastor: A Workshop with J. Bradley Wigger, an offsite 2015 writing workshop at Louisville Seminary.
The Ages Have Been At Work
A poem by Taylor Brorby, participant in the summer 2014 writing workshop, Apart, and Yet a Part.
