...........Heaven in Ordinarie............
Poetry, articles, videos and other miscellany from Ian Fosten
Welcome to this website. The title. 'Heaven in Ordinarie' is borrowed from the 16/17th century clergyman poet George Herbert. In his sonnet, 'Prayer', he harvests his experience and then offers up a basket full of images, none of which explain prayer, but all of which provide a fragment of understanding. 'Heaven in ordinarie ...' is one of those fragments.
Like Herbert, my working life has been within a variety of church settings - and when church is about community, faith, generosity and understanding it is a good place to be. When religion assumes the role of master rather than enabling servant, it is not.
From a very young age 'God stuff' has made as much sense to me out of doors, in real life events, in songs and poetry as it has within the confines of doctrine and religious tradition - quite often, much more so. Consequently my purpose in writing is to record that 'sense-making' and offer to anyone who choses to loiter here some glimpses of 'heaven in ordinarie'.
Something Understood (after George Herbert : Prayer)
Written at Huttopia, Douarnenez, Brittany. August 2019.
The near stillness of these oak trees
is not God,
nor do they represent God;
yet, together with
the view across the bay,
the cautious movements
of a campsite waking into day,
the radio music and sounds
of preparation from the cafe wagon,
and me - sat here,
alive to all I can and cannot
be and think and know and do -
all this, and so much more than anyone
can see or hear or feel or understand -
all this is the presence, purpose, life and love
of God -
in which,
if we are wise or sufficiently humbled by life,
we might participate.
Comments
-
Hello Ian
I always enjoy your thoughts in Fresh from the Word, they are wise, and easy to understand.
I am really enjoying a creative writing course which is opening up my world (put it off for years!), and hence turned to your site for your poetry etc.
I knew I would like it.
Thank you
Best wishes..
Thank you I will slowly enjoy at my pae
Print 