Lent Haiku

Last night, after enjoying their soup supper (and mac & cheese - there's mac & cheese every week for the picky-eaters club), CtK youth wrote some haiku for the season.
I got the idea from a colleague in Oregon, who writes a haiku, instead of taking a photo, but uses a Photo-a-Day challenge for his themes. If you're inclined to do something similar, post in the comments. And please use #ctkbozeman on any social media posts, so we can find you!

I just asked our youth to think about Lent and Ash Wednesday. Here's what they gave me:

Sin infects our souls
Dark ashes upon our heads
Death will not conquer
...

+ + +
I gave something up
Ashes are on our faces
We are all sinners
+ + +
We are forgiven
It's the beginning of Lent
Ashes to ashes

The Work of Christmas

We hope you had a blessed Day of Epiphany!

Merry Christmas!

May the joy of the Christ's birth fill your heart and home this day and always!

Light Looked Down

Light looked down
and saw darkness.
"I WILL GO THERE," SAID LIGHT.

Peace looked down
and saw war.
"I WILL GO THERE," SAID PEACE.

Love looked down
and saw hatred.
"I WILL GO THERE," SAID LOVE.

So he,
the Lord of Light,
the Prince of Peace,
the King of Love,
came down
and crept in
beside us.

- From Cloth for the Cradle, by the Iona Community/Wild Goose Worship Group

The Epiphany of Our Lord - The wise man's journey

The wise man's journey

There will be no camels;
we are going on horseback,
at least for some of the way.

And we won't arrive there
a few hours after everyone else.
It will be weeks, perhaps -
or months.

We are not in a hurry.
That is not the way we work;
we are not Europeans.

We will discuss the phenomenon - the star -
and if it does not go away,
and if we still feel curious,
we will travel.

We will look in the wrong place.
Yes, I admit that,
because wise men, potentates, intellectuals -
call us what you will -
are not infallible.

We expect a new power
to emerge from the side of the old one.
We expect the destination we seek
to resemble what our common sense deduces.

We will be upset, angry even,
to find that Herod is ignorant
and that his residence is not the birthplace.

We will find it hard
and intellectually demeaning
to bow the knee to the son of refugees.

And all this...
all this upset will be compounded
when it comes to journeying back
and we discover
we have to go home by an alternate route.

That is the trouble with God.
He does not let you leave as you came.
He sends you back,
stripped of your presumptions,
making for home by an alternate route.

From Cloth for the Cradle: Worship resources and readings for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany, by the Iona Community- Wild Goose Worship Group

The First Day of Christmas: Happy Incarnation Day!

The Risk of Birth

By Madeleine L'Enlge

This is no time for a child to be born,

With the earth betrayed by war & hate

And a nova lighting the sky to warn

That time runs out & the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,

In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;

Honor & truth were trampled by scorn -

Yet here did the Savior make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?

The inn is full on the planet earth,

And by greed & pride the sky is torn -

Yet love still takes the risk of birth.

"I Am His Own"

This poem was written by CtK member, and 2010 graduate of Belgrade High School, Kimi Siemsen, for her Baccalaureate service. Enjoy!

I Am His Own
by Kimi Siemsen

I believe in the sun even if it isn’t shining,
I believe in love even when I am alone.
I believe in God even when He is silent,
but how long have I been in this storm?

I’m lost in my own translation, so
take my life, and make it yours, Lord.
Fill me with your love.
You are all I need;
tell me I am Your own.

My heart’s desire is to know You more, Lord,
to possess by faith what I cannot earn.
Help me reach the lost and alone, to tell of joy
and hope where both are gone.
I surrender all of me.
I will put my trust under the shadow of Your wings.

I want to fall in love with You, Lord,
You are my hiding place; You always
fill my heart with song, and
I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.

As I reach this road at the end of the sunset,
the winding pathway begins to fork.
I reflect on this new battle,
unsure of which road to follow,
but I will not take my love from Him, nor will I ever betray
my faithfulness.
Wishing will never substitute for a prayer.

And though sometimes my prayers feel like
they’re bouncing off the sky,
the hand I hold won’t let me go
because I know I am His own.