I will readily admit to being a Mary Oliver" groupie." I look forward to her appearance in May here at Plymouth Congregational Church.  Her poetry has inspired me since I first read her work almost ten years ago. It was at about that time that I began to feel as if there were too many words coming at me….too much exposition….too much, too much. In walking the spiritual path, I was learning that less is more. At the same time so much of our church life is built around words…explaining, expounding. It was at that time that I was drawn to the simplicity, the brevity of poetry. Mary Oliver’s words became-and continue to be-sacred text for me.

Yesterday, I was in our church library and saw her newest book entitled Thirst. I opened it hungrily. I was not disappointed. The first poem called Messenger began with this line:"My work is loving the world." Nearly all of her poetry reflects this love and her sense of vocation. Her sparse words gives voice to my understanding of my own work……loving the world. Loving the planet….its beauty, its fragility,its sheer gift. Loving humanity…my family,friends, strangers….with our similarities, differences,disagreements, consensus. Loving the Holy……that which connects us all.

I often forget that this is my work. These past few days I’ve been in an unexplainable funk. I’ve mostly been feeling despair at the state of the world and a certain sense of powerlessness and voicelessness. Oliver’s words to me:" Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect?Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished."

So today I will try to remember…..to stand still, to be astonished by the on-going nature of Creation, the spring that is waiting to be, the goodness that sometimes lurks in the shadows, the Holy that holds the beautifully intricate Web, lovingly, hopefully.

Today I will remember my work.