Winter

 
THEME: The Pregnant Barrenness

THOUGHTS FOR REFLECTION

1. There is no winter as bleak as the wintery disposition of a blighted human being, one who has lost hope.

2. The dark night of the human spirit is a time for sorting out the infertile seed from that which is filled with life.

3. Winter – season of primary radiance for when all the leaves have disappeared, the tree is still beautiful.

4. Winter is nature’s crucifixion that points to the eternal spring.

5. Hope is seeing sunflowers in the middle of winter.

PRAYER

O God of darkness and solitude, help us to discern that the winters of our life can be the prelude to springtime blossom, if we are prepared to wait in silence, to espouse emptiness and to abandon our attempts to predict what will be the next insight we will gain on this our spiritual journey.

HYMNS

Prophetic wind. (BL)

To our winters. (BL)

Throughout this winter season.

The Mystery Telling, Hymns and Songs for a New Millenium

The spring will come again.

The Mystery Telling, Hymns and Songs for a New Millenium

 

POEMS / REFLECTIONS
 
_________WINTER GALES
 
_________Rejoicing in the naked beauty

_________of Winter’s leafless trees

_________my storm-swept spirit

_________accepts their invitation

_________and reverently explores

_________the creative skeletons

_________of word, flesh and experience.
 
_________FROSTED DREAMS
 
_________When winter comes

_________I recall flowers

_________in frosted dreams

_________and prepare

_________with tears and hope

_________another planting time

_________for love.

Winter –
_________Nature’s alpha and omega ‑
_________the womb of all our Springs,
_________the goal of all our Autumns:
_________in you life ends,
_________in you life begins.

Winter –
_________Season of hidden mystery ‑
_________of death that leads to life,
_________sleep that leads to reawakening,
_________reflection that leads to action.

Winter –
_________Season of paradox –
_________of warming cold,
_________singing silence,
_________enlightening darkness,
_________fulfilling emptiness;
_________of joy hidden in pain,
_________of hope in despair,
_________of buried identity
_________and enlightening mystery.

Winter –
_________Sign of soul’s dark night ‑
_________yet your
_________buried aloneness
_________but preludes
_________God’s dawning,
_________the ever-vibrant
_________ever-greening
_________Spring
_________of the
_________Spirit.

FOCUS FOR ACTION

1. Winter is the season of the revelation of basic structure. If I was to strip away all the paraphernalia of my life what form would it have?

How many of the things which I do are related to the roots of my spirit.

2. Winter is the season for hibernation. What rhythm do I have for reflection as well as action?

What frequency and length of time do I need in solitude in order to facilitate the growth and quality of my spirituality?

Text and image © William Livingstone Wallace but available for free use.