Spring: A Time of Beauty & Renewal

Many thanks to Carol Varsalona for hosting today, and for offering the prompt of "Blossoming on the Spiritual Journey." Let's all keep Carol in our hearts as she has had a significant loss.  She shared this poignant quote: "A world of grief and pain, flowers bloom—even then." --Kobayashi Issa

Following her prompt of blossoming, here are some spring photos from New Jersey:

I posted the following poem when I first started my blog, back in 2019, and today I decided to share it again.  This is by John Neihardt, a Nebraska poet. I heard him recite this poem when he visited the college I attended way back in the day. The poem is so effusive, and when I see spring in New Jersey I see that same effusiveness in nature. It is titled "April Theology" but -- I hope you will agree that it works for May.

April Theology

O to be breathing and hearing and feeling and seeing!

O the ineffably glorious privilege of being!

All of the World’s lovely girlhood, unfleshed and made spirit,

Broods out in the sunlight this morning — I see it, I hear it!

So read me no text, O my Brothers, and preach me no creeds;

I am busy beholding the glory of God in His deeds!

See! Everywhere buds coming out, blossoms flaming, bees humming!

Glad athletic growers up-reaching, things striving, becoming!

O, I know in my heart, in the sun-quickened, blossoming soul of me.

This something called self is a part, but the world is the whole of me!

I am one with these growers, these singers, these earnest becomers —

Co-heirs of the summer to be and past aeons of summers!

I kneel not nor grovel; no prayer with my lips shall I fashion.

Close-knit in the fabric of things, fused with one common passion —

To go on and become something greater — we growers are one;

None more in the world than a bird and none less than the sun;

But all woven into the glad indivisible Scheme,

God fashioning out in the Finite a part of His dream!

Out here where the world-love is flowing, unfettered, unpriced,

I feel all the depth of the man-soul and girl-heart of Christ!

‘Mid this riot of pink and white flame in this miracle weather,

Soul to soul, merged in one, God and I dream the vast dream together.

We are one in the doing of things that are done and to be;

I am part of my God as a raindrop is part of the sea!

What!  House me my God?  Take me in where no blossoms are blowing?

Roof me in from the blue, wall me in from the green, and wonder of growing?

Parcel out what is already mine, like a vender of staples?

See! Yonder my God burns revealed in the sap-drunken maples!

- John Neihardt

Praise God for the mystery and beauty of spring, for the glorious blooms,

for the exuberance of life, and for the promise that we, too, can be renewed.

He makes everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Sending my best wishes for a beautiful month.

Looking Back: Enduring Song

 Welcome to Spiritual Journey Thursday. Here you will find a group of authors and poets who write monthly about spiritual matters. You are welcome to write your own response and join in. I'm hosting today so you will find links to other posts in today's comments. Our prompt is about looking into the past for something that has shaped or inspired our current spiritual practice or outlook. 

When I was a child, my family attended a lovely little church. Every Sunday we sang a call-and-response liturgy which became very natural to me and which included these words from Psalm 51:

Create in me a clean heart, O God

and renew a right spirit within me

cast me not away from thy presence

and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me

the joy of thy salvation

and uphold me with thy free spirit.

These words are inscribed on my heart and in my head. They come to me unbidden, and have become some of my favorite verses. My current church does not practice a musical liturgy, and I sometimes miss it. For me, there is value in the repetition of these words. Over time they have grown in meaning as they were repeated and reconsidered. I find that now, in my grandmother years, the music and words come to me as both a comfort and a strength. 

Words and music hold immense power. They move us to action or bring us to tears. I've put some of my favorite prayers, scripture and quotes on my walls and over my desk. I like being surrounded with words that lift me up and orient me spiritually.

I hope you have found, or will find, words/songs/psalms that take on deep meaning, that you can fall back on as touchstones. I hope they bring you strength, joy, courage and peace.  

Many blessings, and thanks for reading.