Living Psalm 23 – Lent 4A (OGHS)

Living Psalms Book

Psalms in the form of words and art, reborn in the specific contexts of our world, privileging the voices of historically marginalized communities and those acting in solidarity with them.

One Great Hour of Sharing

There is a moment between breaths

It lingers. Hand on my belly,
there is only exhalation
and a small space before I breathe again.

Inhalation is hard. I am short of breath
from having made space there at the bottom.
I must press upward with intention.

The mind drifts, as it will,
as I silently repeat
let me live with ease
let them live with ease
let all beings live with ease

What have I done today
to bring ease to the suffering
of others? What forgiveness
have I offered myself, what work
have I done to be of service?

This slides down the exhalation
and sits at the bottom of everything

What have I done – not yesterday,
and not years ago when I was full
of passion and energy, of righteousness
and the belief that what I did would be enough

because it is never enough.
It is never enough enough enough

Enough. Come back to the breath.
Come back to this body, to the gifts
that God gives, to the inhalation,
as difficult as it is. Breathe in.

Let go

There is a moment between breaths
when the mind is still. It is not a revelation.
It is a darkness that soothes me,
that removes all, gentles all, silences all
but the feeling that this breath
is good enough. It is enough
to stop, and to start again.

Let us live with ease
Let us love with ease
Let us stand in our power, as one, with ease.

This is enough.

God is here, pasture, still waters,
or shadowed valley,
anywhere, everywhere.

I start again.

Living-Psalm-23_Mankin-One-Great-Hour Download

Living Psalm for Lent 4A (OGHS) – Psalm 23 was written by Maria Mankin.

Living Psalms Book is created by UCC Witness & Worship Artists’ Group, a Network of UCC connected artists, activists and ministers bridging the worship and liturgy of the local church with witness and action in the community. Maren Tirabassi, editor.

Logo is detail from Living Psalm 80 by Sophia Beardemphl, Redwoods, CA. Recovering from significant bullying, Sophia, age nine, read Psalm 80 and thought of brokenness that needs mending. She drew this broken and mended bowl.