In the Courtyard with Margaret McGee

New liturgy, engagement with scripture, and careful attention to everyday life

Lectio + Haiku
 

Inspired by Psalm 62, this month's verses are excerpted from a poem that appears in Psalms for Troubled Times: Prayers of Hope and Challenge by Barbara Gibson, published by Crestline Press, Olympia, Washington, in 2003.

Psalm 62 

"Waiting for Help"

My soul waits in silence for the One,
for a message that can save me.
The One will be my rock and my salvation,
the place from which I cannot be removed.

How long will my doubts and fears attack me?
I’m like a crooked wall, a rickety fence.
“You’re your own worst enemy,” people tell me.
I can’t stop lying, even to myself.
I seem like a nice person,
but inside I’m full of envy and anger.

My soul waits in silence for the One;
my hope is in the presence of the sacred.
The One will be my home and my rock,
the place from which I cannot be removed.

  . . .

How can I learn to trust?
Where will I find refuge?
When will my heart be whole?

Steps for responding

--  Take a moment for silence, becoming aware of God’s presence.

--  Slowly read the scripture passage, then read it again, listening with both heart and mind.

--  Jot down a few words or phrases from the text that “rise up” and carry energy for you at this moment.

--  Now put the passage aside and turn to the scriptural words you jotted down. Spend time with the memories, feelings, and associations they carry to you.

--  Write a haiku that includes at least one of those words. (It’s okay to use a different form of the word if it works better in your haiku. For example, if the word “sowing” is on your list, it’s okay to use “sow.”)

--  Return to the scripture passage, read it one more time, then read your haiku response.

--  Take another moment for silence in God’s presence.

Share your response

To join your haiku with others in the courtyard, fill in the form available on the website.

I review each haiku for appropriate language before posting it. That doesn’t mean I’m looking for a particular tone or message. Your haiku response can be joyful, sideways, hot, cool, contrary, or whatever feels true to you now. Scripture is filled with people who grapple with God, crying out in anger and loss. A haiku that rails against the message can be as prayerful as one that embraces it.

It may take a few days for your haiku to appear. During the month, the group poem will keep changing and growing as others join the conversation. If your conversation with God in Lectio + Haiku continues, feel free to send more haiku for posting.

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