“Knock, knock, knock and the door will surely open, *
Seek, seek, seek and the questing heart will find,”
All that only seems to lie outside us
Also dwells within our heart and mind.
When we find beauty in our depths,
When we find love within our heart,
When we find dance within our toes,
God will form our sail and chart.
There’s a beautiful place in our minds,
Deeper than hatred or fear;
There’s a beautiful space in our hearts
Filled with God’s wisdom and care.
I’m on the road to nowhere
A place that I can find
Beyond my measured thinking,
Beyond my structured mind.
We go forward and around
In the cycles of the Earth;
The seasons in their sequence
With death that leads to birth.
Sowing limits what we harvest;
Giving shapes what we receive;
Words send out our hurts and loving
And define what we achieve.
O God of sky and God of Earth,
We honor your presence
Within us and beyond.
God of sky and God of Earth
Your bright presence we explore
Deep within us and beyond
All our reason’s structured lore.
1. How liberated are those who have learnt to let go;
They shall experience the mystery of God.
(i) How happy are those who have learnt to let go;
They shall discover the Christ within.
We come from the Cosmos that birthed our Earth;
Each part of that process still nurtures Earth.
Our home is this planet that we call Earth.
For Earth is God the Presence adorned in cosmic flesh,
The shadow of the mystery who is both host and guest.
Wisdom from 13 Traditions on 9 Universal Themes: Justice, Gratitude, Peace, Service, Compassion, Forgiveness, Healing, Nature, Prayer
read moreWhen skin becomes the surface of the earth
And veins the braided rivers’ strands;
When breath is soft as tender forest moss
Our hearts reflect the Spirit’s spacious lands.
I will walk the circle of the Earth,
Breathe its stillness,
Dance its center,
Flow in the waters of its womb.
Who is our neighbor? That’s the question:
Who is this person we’re to love?
The one across the street? Or next door?
Or in the apartment up above?
John Shelby Spong gives an introduction and brief explication of his 5 day lecture series hosted by the Department of Religion, in the Hall of Philosophy.
read more
“I am one priest and bishop in the church who is no longer willing to read [the Bible] through stained glass lenses,” Bishop John Shelby Spong said. That might as well be the man’s mantra, and this lecture exemplifies why.
read more
