March 13: Imperatives, Part 2 of Mysteries of the Incarnation
♫ Music:
Thursday, March 13—Day 9
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:27-32
Imperatives, Part 2 of Mysteries of the Incarnation
Kathleen Norris
Look at the birds
Consider the lilies
Drink ye all of it
Ask
Seek
Knock
Enter by the narrow gate
Do not be anxious
Judge not; do not give dogs what is holy
Go: be it done for you
Do not be afraid
Maiden, arise
Young man, I say, arise
Stretch out your hand
Stand up, be still
Rise, let us be going…
Love
Forgive
Remember me
In this powerful poem, author and poet Kathleen Norris arranges found words into poetic stanzas. Her sources are the synoptic gospels, from which she extracts Jesus’ commands to his disciples and his calls to action, which Norris skillfully passed on to her readers. The first three stanzas are taken from the Sermon on the Mount, where the commands are primarily internal. Look, Consider, Seek — these are commands of the heart, the mind, the senses. The fourth and fifth stanzas are calls to action given to those that Jesus had just healed. Go, Arise, Stretch, Stand — because a change of heart necessitates a responsive action. The imperatives of the final stanza are the greatest overarching commands of the New Testament, the most essential for life as a disciple of Christ. Read the poem aloud as you mediate on the stark beauty of Christ’s gospel.
Prayer
Father God, transform our hearts and minds through the teachings of Your Son. Give us eyes to see your faithful provision in each day of our lives, and hands ready to be used for your work in the lives of others. Let us strive for righteousness in our words and actions as we seek the furthering of your kingdom here on earth. Amen.
Norris, Kathleen, “Imperatives, Part 2 of Mysteries of the Incarnation,” from Journey: New and Selected Poems, 1969-1999 (Pittsburg, PA: University of Pittsburg Press, 2001).
Day 9—Thursday, March 13
Irises
Vincent Van Gogh
Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Oil on Canvas
About the Art and Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 1853 – July 1890) was a post-Impressionist painter of Dutch origin whose work, notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty and bold color, had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. In May 1889, after episodes of self-mutilation and hospitalization, Vincent van Gogh chose to enter an asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. There, in the last year before his death, he created almost 130 paintings. Within the first week, he began Irises, working from nature in the asylum's garden. The cropped composition, divided into broad areas of vivid color with monumental irises overflowing its borders, was probably influenced by the decorative patterning of Japanese woodblock prints. Each one of Van Gogh's irises is unique as he carefully studied and meditated on these delicate flowers.
About the Music
Seek Ye First lyrics:
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu, alleluia
Man does not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Allelu, alleluia
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Allelu, alleluia
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Allelu, alleluia
Man does not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Allelu, alleluia
About the Performers
Maranatha Praise Band began as a non-profit outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The Jesus People of the late 1960s and early 1970s began to write new hymns and worship songs with a folk-rock style. Maranatha! Music was founded at this time in order to publish and promote this new type of Christian music. The label is currently distributed by Warner Music Entertainment's Word Music. http://www.maranathamusic.com/
About the Poet
Kathleen Norris (b 1947) is a best-selling poet and essayist. After graduating from Bennington College in Vermont in 1969, Norris became arts administrator of the Academy of American Poets, and published her first book of poetry two years later. She is the author of The New York Times bestsellers The Cloister Walk, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, and The Virgin of Bennington. Exploring the spiritual life, her work is at once intimate and historical, rich in poetry and meditations, brimming with exasperation and reverence, deeply grounded in both nature and spirit, sometimes funny and often provocative.