Christ of the Lakeshore

10 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems, Prayers, Reflections

Tags

creation, glory of God, hope, Jesus Christ, Lake Tahoe, nature, prayer, Waters of life, world's suffering

Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, Lake Tahoe

Christ of the lakeshore,
come beside me this day
as my eyes soak in
the blueness spread before me
geese gliding effortlessly
inches above placid waters
slender pencils of pine
garbed in glorious green
a light blanket of snow
draped over neighboring peaks.

Christ of the lakeshore,
come beside me this day
as my ears take in
the songs of the birds
the lapping of the surf
the laughter and crying of a child
the soft whispering breeze.

Christ of the lakeshore,
come beside me this day
as my heart lets in
the pain of the world
of immigrant and refugee
the poor
the houseless
the lonely
the pushed aside
the wounded
the broken-hearted.

Christ of the lakeshore,
come beside me this day
that my praying
my dreaming
my hoping
my longing
may be in conversation
with yours.

Poem by the roadside

04 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

disciplined life, eternal now, eternity, goals, God, Ground of all Being, morning prayer, mystical experience, nature, presence of God, spirituality, work

side of the road On the road
work beckoning
a daily duty
to be productive
to be hard at work
to be diligent in all things
to be focused on the important
to be tied to the meeting of goals
to be steadily progressing in the disciplined life

Only to be stopped in my tracks
stalled into awareness
dared to open my eyes
to the morning unfolding
in the periphery
where the land rises from the depths
in ways that mirror our own emergence
as living beings
within the large and beautiful Ground of all Being

Here the stillness refreshes
and releases me
to live
in the now

in the now of eternity

Cathedral of Earth, Sea, and Sky

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems, Reflections

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

awe, communion with God, cosmology, God's creation, Montana de Oro State Park, mysticism, nature, panentheism, prayer, source of life, wonder

Montaña de Oro State Park, CA

All that we see,
all that we breathe,
all the places we walk or swim or fly,
all that is distant,
all that is near,
all that is empty,
all that is full,
all that comforts us with familiarity,
all that invites us into newness,
all that opens us to challenges,
all that surprises us with wonder,
all that humbles us in awe,
all things now living,
all ancestors, loved ones, friends,
all whom we hold in our remembrance,
all ancient trees,
all tundras, savannas and prairies,
all deserts, everglades and forests,
all morning brightened mountains,
all shimmering vibrant seas,
all cloud dotted skies,
all of these sing of one source,
all of these move to one timeless rhythm,
in all ways that matter.

God writes the gospel

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Prayers

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bible, creation, Divine Artist, God, God's glory, Gospel, Martin Luther, nature, praise, souls, stars

Arboretum, Harrisonburg VA, Spring 2012

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone,
but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”
~ Martin Luther 1483 –1546

O Divine Artist,
whose brushstrokes splash color across creation,
we receive the gospel in a morning walk,
among the fragrant flowers,
in the shade of sycamore and oak,
in moments of holy amazement.

O Divine Artist,
whose glory sparkles in the night sky,
we receive the gospel in hours of rest,
among the sleeping landscapes of our souls,
beneath the canopy of constellations,
in moments of sacred surprise.

Grant us grace to receive your gospel,
however it is manifested in your world,
that we might live to the praise of your glory. Amen.

From Water’s Edge

20 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Avila Beach, California, dolphins, humpback whales, nature, ocean life, pelicans, San Luis Bay, whale migration

Over placid waters
of late summer,

brown pelicans
glide effortlessly

just above the surface
then abruptly rise,

and spotting their quarry
plunge like fierce arrows

shot from the heavens
to capture their prey.

Standing on Harford Pier
we watch their show

amused and amazed
by their grace,

their swiftness,
their accidental nonchalance.

A steel-blue day greets us,
as well as a bustle of birds,

a sampling of seals,
a dalliance of dolphins,

and a fortuitous sighting
of Humpback whales

cruising the harbor,
tails slapping,

feeding in the plentiful waters
of San Luis Bay

before heading south again
on migration to Mexico.

If You Knew

14 Monday May 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

children, gift of life, life, Morro Bay, nature

If You Knew

how many colors the sky can become,
how many birds wait to dazzle you in flight,
how many deer run the lonely hills behind you,
how many trails are left to explore,
how many songs remain to be sung,
how many children walk this earth afraid,
how many days you have left to live,
would you live differently?

All That Is Breaking

27 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by mark lloyd richardson in Poems, Reflections

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

being human, Breakwater (structure), grief, human nature, letting go, nature, pain, Poetry, risking

One should never explain a poem in advance. Having said that, I need to at least disclose that I wrote this poem several years ago during a difficult period in my pastoral ministry. Earlier experiences of watching the waves crash against the breakwater not far from our home became a metaphor for managing the mistreatment I was feeling.

Being human means being hurt, in big and small ways. It means acknowledging the pain when it comes, as it does to every life, in order to move through it and beyond it. Often by naming what we don’t understand or the ways we are tempted to play it safe we begin to understand that life is all about risking – love, talent, energy, friendship, certainty, ego, creativity, the inner voice – or it is not living! Often the risking involves letting go.

So, this poem may be an admonition of sorts – I am still unsure what exactly it is saying to me (or perhaps about me).

How about you? What does it say to you? I would love to hear your thoughts.

All That Is Breaking

Swells crash against the breakwater,
leaping high in the salty air,
like flying walls of sea water.

We come to watch nature’s powerful display,
moving in just close enough to taste danger,
to take the risk of dread.

Otherwise we are more cautious creatures,
driving the speed limit,
minding our manners,
keeping our heads low,
risking only what we are able.

A day may come
when our own powerful natures confront us,
taking the waves of deep grief
swelling within our fluid bodies,

and watching them wash over
all that is breaking
along the turbulent shores of this life.

dreamprayact

~ Reflections of a preacher, poet, and contemplative activist

Tag Archives: nature

Christ of the Lakeshore

Poem by the roadside

Cathedral of Earth, Sea, and Sky

God writes the gospel

From Water’s Edge

If You Knew

All That Is Breaking