Meditation on Top of a Cleft Rock

Sitting on a cushion of crisp leaves
In the company of barren trees,
Fresh, clean air filling my lungs,
Seeps to every capillary of my being.

Reaching inward, I find pools of water,
A mixture of tears and morning dew.
Water creeps thru the multitudes of cracks,
Rinses over smudges of hurt and shame
Embedded in the walls of my cavern,
Traces of a cleansing within.

I am ready for Christ's light to enter and
Struggle to disassemble the locks I had secured
To foolishly hide my shame in darkness.
The door creaks open slowly.

The sun bursts in;
Warmth flows to every corner,
Transforming my home to a palace
Where Christ can light His eternal fire
To shine on all the world.

Set before me is the task
To faithfully kindle this fire
So it may consume my entire self
And fill my depths with His gift
Of living water.

by Julie St. John    fall of 1986

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesu, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malicious enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me
And bid me, come to Thee,
That with Thy holy saints, I may praise Thee
Forever and ever.  Amen.

Author unknown - an eighth century prayer from Ireland

A West Virginia Memory

The hills are the basis of life in that land,
  Both as life given - and taken.

A harsh land with soft people,
  Yet, and also, a soft land with harsh people.

The land of my birth,
   With paths through the blackberry and greenbrier.
   Kind winds blowing gently of a song forgotten.

A greenness everywhere on her rugged slopes,
  And she gives forth her inner blackness
  As if a painful abortion of her babe within.
  All left to flow are her tears of acid.

The nights of West Virginia
  Mellow sharp lines and soaring peaks
  And the shadows embrace every living thing
  In her grasp till the dawn.

So much time I have spent in those hills,
  In games, thoughtful solitude,
  In the questions of life.

West Virginia is not bound by rivers and streams,
  For we all come from a land
  That calls from within us,
  To find greenness once again.

by Thomas Chapman

I thank you, Thomas and Brenda, that we have been able to share our lives, even if it is from a distance.  We appreciate your friendship.    

At Mountain Sunrise

I see the mountains

I see the sunrise

I feel the wind

And I see Your eyes.

Beautiful are they

That shine upon

This quiet and peaceful land.

Wondrous is Thy grace at dawn

Held in the palm of Your hand.

I see Your creation

I see Your care

I feel the change

And I see the pair.

Walking forth both

Hand in hand

Singing out a brand new song.

Gazing deep into their eyes,

You see the love that does belong.

You see Your creation

You see Your love

You feel our thanks

And you send the Dove.

Beautiful It settles

Down upon

Our quiet and waiting spirits.

Wondrous is Its grace at dawn;

We have no need to fear It.

I see the mountains

I see the sunrise

I feel the wind

And I see Your eyes.

Beautiful are they

That shine upon

This quiet and peaceful land.

Wondrous is Thy grace at dawn

Held in the palm of Your hand.

by Nathan Dunlap  2-6-1989

Lasting Peace

Peace, like a rock rollicking down a river,
   Flowing with the current,
   Tossing and turning
   In the churning waters,
   Pulled only one direction,
   Steadily moving forward
   Evermore.

Peace cometh by surrender.
   I place all I have
   Into Your loving hands
   To do as You will
   Knowing I am safe
   To trust Your love
   Forever.

by Julie Dunlap  8-15-2011

Paradox of Christ

Black is everything, white is nothing - black is nothing, white is everything.
Contemplate deeply, glance at the surface.
Truth lies in this contradiction.

Just look at a keyboard, a starlit sky, a soccer ball, a bride and groom, a charred marshmallow,
a newspaper, a panda bear. Ponder, wonder; see over and under.

The earth is a grey area, hiding the truth in a rainbow.
Colors absorb us - blue, green, yellow, orange, red - multiple shades in between.
     A variety of fruits to satisfy our senses
     Delicious
     Paint mixed to bring life to a picture
     Artistic
     Rolling hills with scattered clusters of wildflowers
     Magnificent

Look beyond these golden treasures to
     A family shivering outside their burning home,
     An old man with an empty stare on a park bench day and night,
     A young woman who is thrown around relentlessly,
     A child whose silent cries are ignored, left alone to starve,

 And God, who was nailed fast to a tree,
 That all may choose the path of the free.

by Julie St. John   Fall, 1987
   

Come to the Water

Come to the water; we will swim side by side.
   I know you are thirsty; this you cannot hide.

She comes to the edge and slowly descends,
   Clings to the ladder tightly. I encourage her again.

Come to the water; we will swim side by side.
   I know you are thirsty; this you cannot hide.

She peers at the still water, fear lies deep in her eyes.
   Will the darkness pull her under if she decides to try?

Come to the water; we will swim side by side.
   I know you are thirsty; this you cannot not hide.

Taking hold of my hand, we slowly float out,
   Enjoying the cool refreshment as she forgets her doubts.

She came to the water; we swam side by side.
   Splashes of laughter echo all around; her joy she cannot hide.

by Julie St. John, summer of 1987