Ashes to Fire

Happy Lent!

Welcome to the season of introspection and finding out what it means to be “you” and how that fuses with what it means to be a follower of the Christ. I always look forward to the beginning of Lent and welcome the occasion to slow down, ponder, pause, pay attention and be more intentional about reflection. The kick is that the groundwork established during this season harvests a life change.

As is true for most journeys, it is wise to take a good read along to accompany you on the journey. For me, this Lenten season, I’ve chosen two: SEIZING THE NONVIOLENT MOMENTS: Reflections on the Spirituality of Nonviolence by Nancy Small and THE ART of PAUSING by Judith Valente, Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO and Michael Bever.

Always looking for a good read, what texts and tomes are accompanying you this season? (NOTE: I think of scripture as a given).

I want to slow down and live from my center not my to-do list.

Believing that we are made in the image of the Creator and therefore we are each creative, I want to write more and find the discipline so to do. Favorite poet, Mary Oliver (if you have not yet read her writings I strongly encourage you to pick up a book of her poetry --- yes, she’d be a wonderful journey mate) writes, “Discipline is very important. We are creative all day long and we need to have an appointment to get that out on the page.” This is one appointment I will seek to keep, not so much for anyone else, yet, first of all for myself.

In that light, the book THE ART of PAUSING is arranged by a series of haikus written and shared by the three authors. I like a haiku with its structure of three lines with the first line being 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables and the last line 5 syllables all based around a topic, a moment, an encounter.

I am going to daily write a haiku. On what? Who knows --- whatever speaks, strikes or celebrates on the given day.

I may find the courage to share a few.

I’m extending an invitation to folks to join me in this exercise. If courage rises and you want to share your haiku ---- I vow on my Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap that I will honor that sharing and respond in kind.

Let the journey begin anew…..

sj;