How you start is important. The science of sport has perfected this, giving the advantage to the athlete who can begin from a dead start with the most precision, fluidity and power. Is that how I what to start 2019? My nature would choose precision, I like order even if my environment doesn’t always reflect that (with apologies to my husband!), but I’ll never be fluid. I’m not even sure at this stage of my life if I think it’s important. Power, is given for living. It’s what we do with our ‘alive-ness’ rather than some kind of ranking.

There is a verse in Hebrews I have thought about quite a bit. “Consider,” it says, “how to stir one another up to love and good deeds.” (10:24). Consider is a word used a few times by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount too: “Consider,” the lilies, the ravens. Paul also urges us in Romans to: “consider, that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the weight of glory that will be revealed in us”… Consider. Think about. Ponder.

A liturgy makes a space for consideration, providing a structure to guide the mind and the heart. The poems in this series will loosely follow a liturgical pattern: A collect, Prayers of the People, Passing the Peace, Silence, and A Blessing. They’re my attempt to begin 2019 well. Maybe they might open a considering space for you too.

Collect yourself,
let the vibrations
of celebration dissipate
and enter the stillness
left to keep you company.
Do not be afraid.

Hidden plainly,
among familiar things
is a gift unnoticed,
left by your Beloved.
To find it
centre yourself
and survey the room
item by item.
Consider each.
What is its purpose,
connection,
worth?
Decode the camouflage
of carelessness
and privilege
with attention. Take note
what touches your heart,
stirs up hope,
recalls someone loved –
the real treasures. 
You will find the gift here, 
where your heart lingers.
Because the Beloved
stays near your heart.

Open the gift;
it will be exactly what you need,
steps beyond your asking:
a soothing, an adventure,
a call, a completion…
you will know
by the way your heart flips
or sighs when you open it.

Now you only need
to accept it, claim it,
consider how
it may change your life.

© 2019 – Laurel Archer

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com – royalty free stock photos