In the Stillness of  your Presence

My heart longs for you, O Lord,
Ín the stillness of your presence
I see your holiness.

In the stillness of your presence, O Lord,
I see myself before you, a sinner-
a seeker of lusts.

My heart longs for you, O Lord,
to partake of your holiness
to stand in awe of your presence
so pure and white as snow.

Rense me from my dirty spots
In your presence of awe and wonder,
let me dwell and find rest,
to be renewed in my inside
by the stillness of your presence.

Restore to me
a clean heart and mind.

Speak To Me, O Lord
      Give me the calmness of your spirit

God, speak to my inner being
Give me the calmness of your spirit
that I may take up the course in life
without running and gasping.

Give me the calmness of your spirit, O Lord,
to be able to cry when life hurts
but without giving up the hope in you.

Give me the calmness of your spirit, O Lord,
that I may not seek to prove what I can
to be affirmed of my own worth.

Deliver me, O Lord,
from the self-seeking nature.

Deliver me, O Lord,
from the stress and hazzles
of surviving and striving.

Speak to my inner being, dear God,
that I may find your peace
and purpose in living
that I may find my worth
as your child
without running the hectic race
to compete for greatness.

Silence in front of the Running Water

The sound of the running water,
falling on cascades
breathing a life
through its sounds,

Music to the ears
of the one searching
for peace and comfort
on hand.

Water, crystal clear,
pure, clean and simple -
running, falling, reverberating
on the stone layers.

Out of the stone layers
breaks forth a green plant,
a symbol of life,
claiming its place
among the hard and solid  rocks,
finding life`s fragility
and purpose of springing
in spite of the rocks'
toughness and rigidity.

In the running water,
I see Jesus the symbol of life -
sustaining, reverberating
upholding the fragile life
in a plant and mine.

Jesus, the living water,
the running, cascading music
reverberating, calling for us
never to give up living.

The Icon on the Wall

A pose of serenity
Golden colours of the royalty
brushed into the icon on the wall.
Mary, in front of a winged angel
opens her hand to the message
of her pregnancy.

Icon on the wall
of an angel and Mary
Icon, on the wall -- reminding
the historical legacy of faith
passed on through eternity.

Icon on the wall--
you a reminder of our faith journey
You, a sign to our
common legacy
You, that points to
the human creativity.

Icon on the wall,
stay there on the wall
stay there before my soul
that meditates on the deepest truth
on humanity--
on being a created image
by God`s loving hand.

Speak to me, O Lord

Speak to me through the sounds
of  the running water
that echoes your faithfulness
to uphold your gift of life.

Speak to me through the icons
of the walls, dear God,
to remind me of the biblical stories of faith
to comfort and inspire.

Speak to me, O Lord,
through these people
sitting in front of your silence,
meditating on your Word
and looking at your face
at the center of their  eyes.

Speak to me, O Lord,
that I may seek only to hear your voice
in the tumult and chaos of our time.

Speak to my heart and mind, dear God.

I cry to you, O God, for deliverance

Deliver  me from pride
that separates me from reality.

Deliver me from self-grandeur -
that seeks  to elevate my ego
and setting your throne below.

Deliver me from running away from you.

Take away my pride
that I may partake of Jesus` humility
with the sole resolve
to grant abundant life for many.

Take away from me my obsession of
self grandeur that I may only seek to raise you up
in the presence of your people.

Draw me closer to the wings of your love
that I may seek only to be enfolded
by your presence and love.

Come to my rescue, O Lord,
and never leave me. 

A Litany of Thanks

Thanks for my family, for my husband and children.

Thanks for the neighbors who welcome us each day
with smiles and kind words.

Thanks for my work at school that calls me to wake up
each early morning and to rejoice over the day that ends.

Thanks for the churches that gather together
to sing songs of praise and read your word
and talk over cups of tea and coffee.

Thanks for the shops in town
that provide our daily needs for the kitchen
for our daily survival.

Thanks for the public transport
that enables us to commute whereever we want.

Thanks for the computer and internet
that opens windows to knowledge
and information at the click of our fingers.

Thanks for the sorrows
that enable us to ask for courage from you.

Thanks for time and space
that make us long for those
who have died, and those who live far away from us.

Thanks for food each day on our table
that sustains us with strength for our daily tasks.

Thanks for your love
that reminds us of your presence eternal.

Elizabeth

The Ego

What is it in one`s ego
to seek to feel important
to be affirmed uniquely as someone?

What is it in one`s ego
to have one's self glorified,
appreciated and talked about
as someone, really really special?

What is it the ego serves
that its hunger and thirst cannot be fulfilled?
The ego serves itself to bloat itself
and to fulfill itself.
Like a living monster in all that we are,
the ego devours self-admiration
and all the self-glorification -
to be the number one, the Super-One.

But the ego must be subdued
by the dominon of Christ
that it is Jesus Christ, made the center of life,
to be served, the fulfilling goal in life
And service is not meant to serve
the thirst and hunger of the living monster
in us, the ego, but to serve our Lord,
and Creator of us all.

E. P. Olesen

On a Summer Camp for Retirees

A gathering of retired men and women,
white haired, and wrinkled on thier faces
Some of them are holding on to a cane
as they walk, or others are on wheel chairs
These men and women shake as they move
but still they wear the smart looks and beauty
of the passing years.

Here is a summer camp for the retirees!
What a display of talents unlimited!
The piano plays a tune, others sing
psalms at the top of their voice,
another preaches a touching homily,
while others extend their ears
and company to the most aloft and lonely.

Others cook food, serve the meal
and wash the plates, while others display
their artistic skills in painting or setting
order to the place they are meeting.
Others use their driving skills
as they pick up new arrivals
or send off others to the train or bus station.

What does this pensionist camp tell me?'
Is it enough to value their warmth
and friendship, to giggle at how they laugh
with the active children mixed in their midst?
What more the presence
of these retirees tell me?

How important to have the aged among us!
How privileged we are to see them each day!
They are but a reminder
of the growing wisdom in time,
 a living witness
to everyone's setting of the sun.
We need the old among us.

Join Us... This Easter, Christ

Why did you have to die, Christ?

Why did you die  and live after your  dying?

People have forgotten that you have died.

Your cross is only meant to adore our necklines.

People have forgotten that you have resurrected.

Your grave is adorned by our goods of convenience.

Why did you have to die, Christ?

Why did you wake up from the dead?

And assure us that you are with us in our daily life?

Why did you have to die, Christ

And proclaim life after death ?

Yes, we need you, Christ

to claim life over our ways of dying.

We need you, Christ, in our daily life

stamped  with sorrows, fear, pain and hatred,

in our sea of hurts and longing for

rest and peace in the heart.

Come and join with us this Easter feast

Let your cross bear us that we can walk

 Through the valleys of death in our life.

Let your grave be opened to spread the

Incense of the central values in life

You have taught us to live and emulate.

April 2009