Come and Worship

Why do my eyes fill with tears

Why is my mouth drawn upward in a smile

Why do the words of song and psalm tremble on my lips

What draws me to these wooden pews

To sit beneath the stained glass gaze of saints and angels

To rise and sit and rise again repeating ancient prayers

What draws me is the beauty and the calm

The offered sacrament of wafer and of wine

The songs—some old as time; some new as Superstar

The blend of secular and sacred

Into something holy and mysterious

Invitation to a new place filled with the familiar

Oh, Father, thank you for this house

For the peace exchanged with friends and strangers

For the ancient wood doors that open and invite me in

From ordinary time to sit one hour in sacred holy space

Nancy Perkins

5/16/13

Thankful for St James Episcopal Church, where I've worshiped for the past six months.

Winds of Pentecost

Spirit wind blow

the seeds of new life and possibility

the blossoms of experience and pain

Holy Spirit wind blow

clear away the anger and fear

the broken dreams and heartaches

Spirit wind blow

make space for desire and friendship

bring new growth of love and light

Holy Spirit wind

Nancy Perkins

5/12/13

I watched the wind blow through the trees in my backyard, leaves and flowers flying everywhere. It reminded me of the passing of old, and promise of new.

A Psalm to Welcome May

It’s why I get up in the dark

on winter mornings

It’s why I grab my umbrella

and hurry to my car through April rain

This perfect May-first morning

gathers up all the angst of rain and winter

And for this morning anyway

it’s stored beyond the blue and forgotten

For who can be sad on this

 gorgeous May day

or in sadness—who cannot smile

The twitter-pated birds

 the flowering trees

renew and restore all that’s life

I sit on the stoop with coffee and cat

and I smile; even break into song

Alleluia! May Day! Alleluia!

Nancy Perkins

May 1, 2013