This week I am beginning a five part series, “Unexpected Treasures in the Desert.” It is a sermon series for the congregations I am serving, known collectively as Prairie Faith Partners. This series is provided to help you navigate the COVID-19 epidemic “wilderness” we are experiencing together.

For each sermon I am writing my own reflections on the texts, which I like to do in free verse (below). To read the sermons, you can go to my “Lectionary Sermon of the Week” page, even though these aren’t on the lectionary texts. I’m afraid this page will change every week, so you might want to view the messages on the PFP YouTube page. I would appreciate your comments in this space. Thank you for visiting!

When someone thinks he owns you
like a Pharaoh
you must create a still place
a corner here or there
where nothing can touch you
where you can find a piece
of yourself
 
Mine was a spot
where the wall met the floor.
I fixed my gaze on it
when I lay down exhausted,
recapturing a remnant of myself
that I came to know
in the constancy of my breath
 
There was no time to pause
before my secret altar
when we fled.
I try to picture it
but it is a mirage
that vanishes as I approach.
 
This desert has no corners
no walls to hold the stillness
I claimed as my own.
Only sand
and heat
and stars.