The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “rest.” Yes, it is Sunday again! Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Today’s post is inspired by H, the ever restless toddler… Oh, child who will not get out of bed without milk (like your father and coffee/tea), go to sleep when you obviously need rest…
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “celebrate.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Today I wanted to celebrate two things, so I am going to put in two haigas! The first is a haiga based on the “Live Wires” from Maine Federated Church. These ladies are amazing.
The second haiga is celebrating a very special person. Have a very special day today!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “worthy.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga!
For the last few months my family has been slowly stockpiling broth for our church‘s upcoming dinner on Holy Thursday. We have smelled the scent of leeks, chicken, carrots, onions, celery, vegetables, and (family secret (inspired but not limited by “Mastering Stocks and Broths” (Your work is pretty awesome Rachael Mamane and people should support your work))) and spices wafting through our house most weeks of the past few months. Between J.B. (not the music celebrity) and myself, we provide the broth for the matzoh ball soup for dozens of folks since our good friend Alice Hopkins passed onto the other shore.
Store bought broth is fine for most nights, but we love spending time learning about the intersections of faiths on Holy Thursday. Store bought is good, but not great! We work hard, but the end result is definitely enough. We love our church.
Today’s #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day prompt is enough. I couldn’t write a haiku to match a haiga that wasn’t too personal. I will say after years of dealing with depression, doubts, and everything else, it is great to just say that I am enough. Thank you to everyone who has stood with me through all of the ups and downs, especially my spouse and my best friend who has lived with me through all of the challenges. I am very thankful for you.
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “welcomes.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga!
My middle child is super energetic and has ADHD. Maine Federated Church has been an awesome appointment as they have never said a mean word about her energetic nature. They are super supportive of our family. I love serving here if only because my whole family is welcome. I hope they understand how much I love them for loving her (and us) despite the interruptions.
I picked this photo because it shows the love of my youngest for my middle child. Our toddler doesn’t see a problem–she sees a sister who is always ready to play!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “listen.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! I heard a sound at a park the other day…
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “near.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! I keep thinking about how Easter is drawing nearer. Even as the darkness of Holy Week approaches, life already begins to spring forward in new ways!
Also, I wrote this post before it started to snow. Really funny April.
April Fools Day, huh?
Here’s a good one for you all:
Happy springtime y’all!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “rest.” Yes, it is Sunday again! Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Everything you know about life should include things that you learn before kindergarten!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “power.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Here’s a picture of my eldest conquering her fear and flying down a hill on her rollerblades. She’s pretty powerful already!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “Be.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! This picture was taken off the side of the bridge on the Greenway in Vestal.
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “name.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Today’s haiga is inspired partially by Ash Wednesday and the reality of mortality exposed by Lent.
My daughter wanted something to do tonight. Someone shared a challenge to use the word “fragrant” and an antonym in a challenge. I offered this challenge as an opportunity to my nine year old to share her talents. If you’re out there friend, please let me know where I should share her entry. Here is her poem:
The flower is fragrant.
An Awesome Daughter’s Poem, 2019
A bell rings out very well.
A skunk is quite smelly.
At the beach I found this shell.
By the way, as a father I need to ask: What shell? We live literally miles upon miles from the ocean…
All people have rough days. Ministers are no exception. Today has been a difficult morning for me. I have wept, I have prayed, and I have reached out to friends. One friend recommended I read two psalms, so I did the natural thing: I turned to a completely different psalm. I am, if nothing else, predictable.
I spent time in Psalm 127 trying to get my head back on straight. The following poem is inspired by the first two verses. It is a rondelet, which is my favorite syllabic poetry form outside of the various forms of Japanese Haikai.
Find rest with God.
“Find rest with God” Rondelet (inspired by Psalm 127:1-2) by the Distracted Pastor, 2019
Anxious thoughts do not give life birth.
Find rest with God.
There will come no bread from poor sod:
Unless the Creator brings forth
There will come nothing of true worth.
Find rest with God.
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “favor.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Macaroni and cheese in a house with a toddler… Oh my.
Today the d’Verse Poetics challenge for today is hosted by anmol(alias HA) and is centered on the subject of geography. I wanted another try at the prompt as I found it quite intriguing.
People who know me know that I am a Whovian who adores Doctor Who. After Steven Moffat’s story entitled “Blink” was released I had a real problem. I am a minister and suddenly I was afraid of living statues. Actually, a nearby town had a statue with the weeping angel shape in their yard and I literally rushed past it in my car for months.
This past Halloween Night, I was on a retreat at the Malvern Retreat Center when a friend of mine from the past two years pointed out that there were lots of statues around. I had never taken a walk in the woods on Halloween. What better time than after the evening service when we were all required to remain silent until morning? In other words, no nervous humming, no music, and nothing but the sounds of the forest on Halloween.
I walked down into the grotto to the largest collection of statues. I would say that my heart was beating out of my chest, but I learned anxiety breathing techniques that kept me from having a conniption. I made it down all the way and refused to run back up the hill.
There was something terrifying about being surrounded by hills and darkness on every side. It was as if I was descending to my doom like some Greek hero descending into the underworld. I wrote this poem to explore the feeling of descending into the darkness down into the depths of a valley with the earth rising up around me on one of the scariest nights of the year.
By the way, the friend almost hid in the woods to scare me, but realized that I would probably have instinctively hit him hard enough that he would have woken up in the hospital. He was probably right.
Today the d’Verse Poetics challenge for today is hosted by anmol(alias HA) and is centered on the subject of geography. I pondered what to write about today and decided the best thing to do was to think about a bit of local geography that has been bugging my family for the last few days as we have sought to be outside walking, biking, and having a good time.
We live on a rectangular block. The one side of the block is up a hill and the other side of the hill goes downhill. Somewhere between the two roads there is a cresting place which always brings relief, especially on a bicycle. As the challenge was based on geography, I thought I would reflect on the weird geography around our block. My rondelet is called “Wheels go around.” Sometimes they go fast and sometimes they go slow, but they always go around when we are circling the block.
Wheels go around.
“Wheels go around” Rondelet by the Distracted Pastor, 2019
Quickly we roll down the far street.
Wheels go around.
We grunt: we climb up hilly ground.
As pedals almost stop and still.
We creep up towards downward thrill.
Wheels go around.
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “pondered.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! I found this chalk drawing on the Greenway trail in Vestal! Random person, I like the way you pondered spring while the ground was still frozen!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “rest.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! “Rest” is a weekly thing. I found this on the Vestal Greenway. Yes, I saw your message. Thank you!
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “fruit.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! Why the head shaving reference? I once thought my value lay in how I look. I am not bald. I shave every single morning to remind myself that life isn’t about a full head of hair or how I look in general. May I suggest the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as a wonderful partner for your ministry in this life?
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “planted.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! The photo was taken on the Vestal Rail Trail.
Today, March 21, 2019, is World Poetry Day! Here’s a haibun with a picture of our good friend! Sorry beloved folks in the southern hemisphere! We’re really excited the sun is coming closer!
I was frightened you would come halfway around the world, see the state of things, and turn around. Snow and ice have covered lawns torn apart by plows and ground saturated with salt. The grass seems brown and dead.
Here we are on the day after the choice has been made. Here we are and you draw even closer. Here we are and your light shines on cold ground that I feared would be frozen forever. Birds have begun to sing, clouds have given way to deepest blues, and warmth fills our land little by little.
Soon the bees will bumble, the worms will wriggle, and the flies will buzz. Soon the mosquitos will awaken as bloodthirsty as ever. Soon summer storms will wash away the salt and grime of winter. Thank you for everything–even the mosquitos.
Welcome back old friend.
“Haibun for the Sun” by the Distracted Pastor, 2019
Heat the soil of this good earth:
Bring growth from cold land.
Today, March 21, 2019, is World Poetry Day! Here’s a rondeau I wrote which grew out of a rondelet I wrote back in February called “You have a voice.”
We each have to make our own choice
“Here You Remain” Rondeau by the Distracted Pastor, 2019
About how we will use our voice.
All choose to either make a stand
Or bury their head in the sand,
But each person has made a choice.
To speak out with your loudest voice
or to whisper if that’s your choice.
Each word is a line in the sand:
Here you remain.
To do nothing may be your choice
As you sit silent with still voice.
Remain still and hold your own hand
As others watch the flames you’ve fanned.
Silence is a deafening voice:
Here you remain.
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “living.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! These love locks can be found (for now) on the Greenway trail in Vestal. I know they’ll likely be cut off following Paris’ lead, but I give credit to those who spit into the wind. Wasteful? Yeah. Still, they are a romantic gesture.
The word for the day for the #RethinkChurch Photo-A-Day challenge is “repentance.” Being myself, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here’s a haiga! The photo was taken off of the trails in Vestal. In particular, it is in the section labeled the “Greenway.” I will include an extra picture with the nearby placard if you wish a little context.
This pipeline runs through Vestal and travels through rivers where local folks catch fish. Probably not surprisingly, the number of people who catch fish where these pipes risk contaminating the waterways are often economically lower on the scale than the folks who get their fish imported from the local Wegmans.
Distracted Pastor Ramblings 