Deconstructing the Wesleyan Quadrilateral
By Charles Patterson Curry of Apple Valley, MN, USA
“…who do you say I am?” —Mark 8:29 NRSV
consider tidy reason
equations—
if—and—therefore
display only that which can be articulated
the certainty of formulae
demotes unsettled issues
to the spaces between factors
where questions grow
or follow
written word down dusty steps
past fragrant paper in cracked
leather-bound books
ancient narratives
stitched together
grey clay tablets
meanings fragmented, fluid
or heft tradition
heavy from time
brittle from practice
repetition met with nothing
resembles agreement
but does not quell the
whispering from shadows
let the questions drive you
let unlanguagable light
break in, lift out
(though they are ever drawn back
to the unfinished present
“the massive heart
of the present ”)
let them push you forward
again and again:
the interrogative
that will not un-ask itself
Prayer Phrase
God is with us.
Invitation to Spiritual Practice
Holy Attention
Ordinary time is a season for awakening to God’s presence in all the details and circumstances of our everyday, ordinary lives. Wherever you are, pay attention to your surroundings. Allow yourself to be fully present for a time with whatever is before you. Where do you sense God with you right now exactly where you are?
How does today’s poem invite you to discover God in the realities of your everyday life?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
