Manifesting

From Paul's dark glass shattered

an ancient shard pierced my heart

a wound for which there is no healing

but instead eternal gratitude

for finally living

it is neither anguish or joy

but some unmapped region in between

Still

driving in a van on 285

dodging angry spirits

behind the wheels of hurtling

4000 pounds of prestige

with chrome wheels

satellite radios and fine leather seats

quietly with a pierced heart

I say The Liturgy For Vans On 285

If this makes me odd then

I'm looking for the community of odd folks

singing "shall our hearts forget his promise, 'I am with you evermore"

giving Christ heads bodies legs and arms

bumbling and stumbling

manifesting God again and again

manifesting in fits and starts

Emmanuel

Emmanuel

now

in you

in me

With Icons

These are prayers which I use with small icons to help me change gears from the daily concerns, calm the heart, soul, body and mind as I prepare to say The Daily Office. The icons are 2"x2". On the left is a Christus Pantocrator and on the right is a Mystical Supper (Last Supper) icon.

The Pantocrator is Jesus, the Sustainer of All, robed in a red tunic which represents his full humanity, and a blue cloak which represents his full divinity. He holds scripture in his left hand while his right is raised in benediction.

The Supper icon shows the apostles and Jesus at the Last Supper, the roof of the room is open revealing the city and hills in the background and angelic beings above all, signifying the focus and participation of all creation in the moment of communion.

I begin by gazing into the Christus, slowing my breath, allowing my thoughts to pass freely from my mind and allowing my heart to open more fully into the present moment.

Then I say the following to refocus my mind onto my purpose and intention, gazing first into the Christus until the prayers reaches the point marked here with a semi-colon, then my gaze turns to the Supper.

Loving Christ, in your compassionate love, you pour yourself out into us completely so that we may be healed, restored, transformed; so that in compassionate love, we may also pour ourselves out into the communion of humanity and creation. Amen.

Purpose

There is darkness

yet in your light it dissolves

as you fill its emptiness

Darkness is not destroyed

but transformed

in the union of your presence

The quality of the bowl never changes

but is simply either being emptied or filled

yet the bowl remains

true to its purpose

whether empty or full

If I see God

in this world or in your face

what else remains

If I fail to see God

it's not because God is absent

but because of the absence

in my eyes