Dear Friends,

We pray you are safe and well.

In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our
awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to
share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that in God’s
economy of abundance, when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our
feelings, we are all made richer.

Today's Meditation comes from Wendell Berry, "How to be a poet."
His reflection melds being quiet, listening, paying attention to
inspirations/intuitions/imagination. Did you ever think of these as God
praying back to us? May this meditation nourish your contemplative-
active hearts!

We hope and pray that you and your loved ones experience genuine
peace of mind and heart, and remain in good health during this
challenging time.

As we enter this "Season of Ordinary Time" in the Church Year, may
this be a time of peace, of healing and hope, of the infusion of joy in
your life!

With our love and care,

Ron & Jean

Meditation Sixty-nine:
HOW TO BE A POET
by Wendell Berry
(to remind myself)

i

Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.

ii

Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.

iii

Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.