The image was of a Visigoth warrior tromping through long empty corridors. Dirty, sweaty; fur hanging off heavy shoulders, leather thongs wrapped around cloth bound legs. Why Visigoth? I had no idea. Had to look it up. What is a Visigoth anyway? What I knew, however, was that this particular warrior, lumbering down the halls with sword and shield dragging behind, was looking for someone to lead him into a small room, loose the bonds and gently cleanse his wounds.
I was highly active in two churches at the time; one exuberant, one restrained. Neither of them featured small, healing rooms. Does yours?
In God's Light, Love and Joy, Mary Light writes of her involvement with the Order of St. Luke and CFO camps. She says that Glen Clark started the Camps Farthest Out so that Christians of all denominations could "come apart from the busy world to rest awhile, allow their thoughts to reach 'farthest out' in the knowledge of Jesus Christ; and through that knowledge learn to apply the laws and principles of the Kingdom of Heaven to every day living."
"That's interesting," I said to Michael after reading the quote to him, "I never thought of Family Camp in that way."
"George did." Michael replied.
I think there's a talk in there somewhere.
"Further up and further in." - C.S. Lewis
Another Healing book I read this last month was God's Healing Power by Edgar Sanford. He's the husband of the more famous Agnes Sanford, author of The Healing Light. He wrote God's Healing Power after he retired as a Parish Priest. Although I tended to skim over his thoughts about healing, I enjoyed the stories he used to illustrate the points. Much of his work was in China. I hop-scotched from story to story, an enjoyable evening.
"It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars." -Garrison Keillor
After last month's newsletter, Tessa sent me a poem every few days. She obviously had decided to educate me. Thus I was armed and ready for the Literary Poetry Party. We had a marvelous compendium of stuff from Art Songs, to classics like Poe, Nash, & Frost, as well as poems by current poets. Tessa's efforts were marvelously successful; poetry is obviously an acquired taste. The trick is a bit at a time--no gorging. I read When I am Asked by Lisel Mueller, a poem about her mother's death and the dichotomy of grieving on a gloriously beautiful summer day. The last lines are:
"and placed my grief / in the mouth of language, / the only thing that would grieve with me."
I liked this poem enough to start a drawing around it in my illuminated journal. If you want add some pages to your illuminated journal (or start a new one), join our summer sessions. We're doing two, four-week sessions, with a break in-between. We'll begin on Tuesday, June 16 at 1:00. The cost is $25 per session, $40 for both. The plan is to meet in a different location every week: Going Forth; the Church Series. If we meet at your church, your fellow church members can join us that day for free. To join the merry throng or to invite us to your church, hit Reply and write words.
"Who am I, if not one who listens for words to stir from the silences they keep?" Peter Everwine in the poem "Aubade in Autumn" from Best American Spiritual Writing 2008
Because we all dream of the time when the Lamb can lie down with the Lion, when the little child can play at the hole of the asp; because we all dream of the garden where we can communicate with the animals, the trees, the water dancing over stones; The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is quite attractive. It just recently fell off the NY Bestseller list--no doubt because the author's last name is too convoluted to be remembered. What is memorable in this novel, is the Sawtelle dogs bred by two generations and their relationship to the mute boy, Edgar. Steven first mentioned this book to me after I got Sasha. After Carol said she loved it, I decided to order it. The worst thing I have to say is that it was bad choice for an airplane book; it's 2 inches thick and weighs in at 2 lbs. Reading it was fine, the Hamletesque plot kept the pages turning, but lugging it around Seattle was less entertaining. (Yet another reason to buy books from bookstores instead of blind ordering.) I didn't love the ending, but having just (barely) emerged from the-year-of-the-dog, I ate up every scrap of the dog gone tail.
"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." -James Earl Jones
THIS IS TERRIBLE! In class after class, writers stare at their 10 minute exercise, the story they wrote, the bit of a novel or essay, the idea just emerging in a journal entry, and before they read, out sputters a disclaimer. I used to joke that we ought to have a sign people could hold up as they read that said, "This is Terrible." Dave finally brought one to the First Tuesday Writers Group. Having printed up a story he'd been working on, he figured he'd also print what he thought about it. We put the This Terrible sign on the back wall, where it regularly flummoxes customers and hangers on.
"He is your praise, and he is your God, that has done for you these great and terrible things..." Deuteronomy10:21
MUSE ALERT: Submissions are now being accepted for a collection of great and terrible works penned or printed in the course of any of my classes or groups. Send two hard copies (typed, double-spaced) of your work to The Publishing Project at The Word Shop. Snippets & sonnets, bits & blocks, chunks & chapters--current and former members of any class or creative can enter up to three pieces. We are looking for short, medium and long work: exercises or poems under 500 words, short stories, essays or novel excerpts under 2000 words and a few longer works up to 7000 words. A couple illustrations would be welcome too. Include a brief comment on your writing process and inspiration for each piece. Also include the word count and your contact information. We hope to have a book in hand by Christmas. Deadline for submissions is August 10. This is your chance for instant fame--but probably not fortune. Email me for the submission form.
"I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues." -Duke Ellington
We contemplated making an abbreviated This is Terrible button to give to everyone who submitted some work, but on reflection...
Blessings,
Alliee +
PS Big Sur Camping and Crawdad Society is June 25 - 29th. Come for some, come for the day, or come for the full starry event. RSVP