At noon on Thursday January 20, 2011, a Service of Cleansing and Healing took place in front of Safeway at Ina and Oracle in Tucson, Arizona. This is the site of the January 8th shooting that took the lives of Christina Taylor Green, Federal Judge John Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck and Dorwin Stoddard and wounded 12 more, including [...]

                       Wellspring of Goodness
 Drown in the depths of living nightmare                       
Or cling to divine buoy, bobbing the rhythm of reclamation.
Wrung out, dry as desert dirt
Or renewed by the River of Life.
Tricked by mirages that call us to drink
Then vanish upon our arrival
Or quenched by cups of cold water
Our neighbors offer, at times in sacrificial ways.
Wellspring of [...]

Turtledove choked just before dawn

LONGEST NIGHT SERVICE

DESCRIPTION
The Longest Night
Many people (connected or not connected to a faith community) find the holidays an enormous challenge because as others are singing and shopping, their hearts are heavy with grief. They miss loved ones and perhaps live with the pain of unresolved issues or what-could-have-been. The traditions and bright lights only serve [...]

Grief’s Quagmire
Disoriented madness pounced
Like a ravenous, feral cat.
Yesterday’s wisdom vanished
And I can scarcely remember my name
The time of day
Or that my loved one is dead.
Lead my gently, friend
Help me make decisions
That have never come my way.
Listen to my repetitive babble
And know my sanity is still buried deep within.
Let me thank you
Again and again,
Scream in your [...]