Poetry Sunday June 2015

Caution.  Mind at work.

Proceed at your own risk; no

knowing where you'll land.  

Thus wrote Timothy Cole of Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford and the poets dared to proceed.

POETRY SUNDAY, June 14, 2015, challenged the poets to read the Gospel, Mk 4:26-34, and create a sermon on its teachings written in haiku.  Poets from 9 parishes responded.  They (or readers for them - we are very busy on Sunday mornings!) projected or were miked and read the Connecticut written haiku verses you see below from various places in the nave at St. Mark's Church, New Britain during the 7:45 and 10 am Sunday Eucharists as the sermon.

Poets stayed for lunch and a read around of more of our poetry with discussions about it.

Poets will next meet at St. Mark's, New Britain, late Sunday afternoon on July 26th with Bishop Laura Ahrens for a cookout, a lesson on reading theologically, and a read around.  Look for more details and how to make a reservation in about 2 weeks.

Peace,

Barbara A. Campbell, Connecticut's Diocesan Poet

May the words of our mouths and the ponderings of our hearts bring us ever closer to you, O God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.  Amen

In a mustard seed

lies a promise of ball parks

hot dogs and home runs

                        (Mary Elizabeth Lang

                         Christ Church, Norwich, CT)

Experimenting

trying new combinations

corned beef, glaze for ham.

                        (Dorothy Mahon

                         St. Mark’s Church, New Britain, CT)

Feeling congested

mustard poultice is applied

comfort returning

                        (Dorothy Mahon

                         St. Mark’s Church, New Britain, CT)

Unpretentious seed,

Grow!  Grow to alarming size!

Grow hot!  Grow pungent!

                        (Wendy Lyons

                         Holy Trinity Church, Enfield, CT)

With seeds finely ground

The mustard is prepared:

The taste buds are not

                        (The Rev. Mark Santucci

                         St. John’s, Church, East Hartford, CT)

            And thus we are reminded of mustard seeds and the statement of Jesus “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed...nothing will be impossible for you.”  But that’s not the parable for this morning.

            Just when you thought you knew about that mustard seed, Mark’s Gospel changes it a little.  Mark gets us out into the garden and wondering about how things grow, how big they get.

A gardener says

what do I know about seeds

my Lord has planted

                        (Mary Elizabeth Lang

                         Christ Church, Norwich, CT)

Pouring hope on the ground

Ten days pass

Tiny green spears stand at attention

                        (The Rev. Bevan Stanley

                          St. Michael’s Church, Litchfield, CT)

Planting done

faith the coming storms

will nourish

                        (Merrill Gonzales

                         St. Paul’s Church, Plainfield, CT)

tree not small not large

yellow blossomed mustard shrub

spice buds pungent punch

                        (Elizabeth T. Massey

                         St. Mark’s, Church, New Canaan, CT)

Tiny bits of grain

can grow horse and rider tall

in just one season.

                        (Paula Lathrop

                         St. Mary’s Church, Manchester, CT)

seeds sprout while I sleep

mystery’s moonlit garden

blooms morning glory

                        (Mary Elizabeth Lang

                         Christ Church, Norwich, CT)

Tiniest of seeds

Dies in nurturing darkness.

The Kingdom rises.

                        (Wendy Lyons

                          Holy Trinity Church, Enfield, CT)

            Now we find ourselves talking about the Kingdom of God.

                                     “tiniest of seeds

                                      dies in nurturing darkness

                                      The Kingdom rises.”

            That line “dies in nurturing darkness”.  The tiniest of seeds being nurtured in darkness.  Perhaps we feel a darkness, not knowing what is going on, not knowing what is to come.

            What am I supposed to do, to be?

            What is this church supposed to do, to be?

            And from that darkness, God’s Kingdom rises.

Thriving over time,

the delicate mustard seed

heeds the Will of God.

                        (Edward Zagorski,

                         Trinity Church, Wethersfield, CT)

As the seed evolves,

so blooms the Kingdom of God

with nurture of Faith

                        (Edward Zagorski

                         Trinity Church, Wethersfield, CT)

Lest ye remain small,

pray, learn, feed – and be fulfilled

to grow in God’s love.

                        (Edward Zagorski

                         Trinity Church, Wethersfield, CT)

Bright cross, touch of grace,

we flower, beyond reason;

we answer his call.

                        (Paula Lathrop

                         St. Mary’s Church, Manchester, CT)

Possibilities

Not daunted by the unknown

Explore with courage

                        (Dorothy Mahon

                         St. Mark’s Church, New Britain, CT)

            Listening to the poets, it took time for the will of God to be heeded.

            It was a process of evolution which caused the blooming of God’s Kingdom.

            The seedlings were nurtured,  There was prayer.  There was learning.

            With grace, we flower beyond reason as we answer God’s call.

            The unknown offers possibilities if explored with courage.

                                                                                                        Amen.