CONVIVIUM

the location of which i do not know

the shape of which i have no idea

a part of me that is somewhere deep within

that is the seat of all that i am

that part of me gets hungry

when all other parts of me seem

comfortable

secure

and fulfilled

that part of me can be

yearning

uneasy

and empty

in a difficult situation when the events of my life

or those close to me become crucial

and I have to make a statement

about what I am going to be

the first word of that statement

"I"

comes from that part of me that is way down deep inside

is there a person who exists who could not talk in this way

i doubt it

this is the way God has made us

all of us have a hungry i

and like all of our appetites this one can become the all

demanding

consuming

appetite of life

it can become a hungry i that devours its neighbor

yet

to be real

to be human

everyone must have an "I"

or end up a zero

this is the way we are made

just as God does not hold our physical hunger against us

nor does God hold this hunger against us

what God does hold against us is

when we pretend that this is not the truth about ourselves

when we pretend that there are not significant times when

we do not care about anyone or anything else just so

the hungry i

gets filled

it is the pretense

not the truth about ourselves

that convicts us

only when we are able to say

yes lord that is me

i cannot throw the first stone here either

only then will we be capable of receiving

the food that overcomes all hunger

the food that is the bread of life

+john winn

MOMENTOUS

an interactive poem by john winn

Take the following lines and re-arrange them in the order that seems best to you, using every line intact, without changing any of the words or adding any. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer, only different versions.

john winn.

Deep within

Where silence is touched by sight

T h i s I s S u c h A M o m e n t

God gets through to us

in many different ways,

but we seldom immediately understand.

It takes a Moment

MOMENTOUS

Where soul is illuminated by light

Where wrong is changed by right

And all we already know is cubed by

that Moment.

johnwinn

God gets through to us
In many different ways
Deep within
Where silence is touched by sight
But we seldom immediately understand
MOMENTOUS
It takes a moment
Where wrong is changed by right
Where soul is illuminated by light
And all we already know is cubed by
that Moment
This Is Such A Moment

john winn

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Steve Polster

T h I s I s S u c h A M o m e n t

Where silence is touched by sight

Deep within

God gets through to us

in many different ways

but we seldom immediately understand

It takes a Moment

Where soul is illuminated by light

Where wrong is changed by right

And all we already know

is cubed by that Moment.

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Judy Woodman

MOMENTOUS

God gets through to us

It takes a Moment

but we seldom immediately understand

Where wrong is changed by right

Deep within

that Moment

Where silence is touched by sight

Where soul is illuminated by light

And all we already know

is cubed by

T h i s I s S u c h A M o m e n t

in many different ways

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Will Finnin

It takes a Moment

Deep within

Where soul is illuminated by light

but we seldom immediately understand

in many different ways

God gets through to us

Where silence is touched by sight

T h i s I s S u c h A M o m e n t

Where wrong is changed by right

And all we already know

is cubed by that Moment

+++

Ellen Alston

MOMENTOUS

God gets through to us

in many different ways

but we seldom immediately understand

that Moment

Where silence is touched by sight

Where soul is illuminated by light

Where wrong is changed by right

And all we already know is cubed by

Deep within

It takes a Moment

T h i s I s S u c h A M o m e n t.

+++

Nancy Jackson

God gets through to us

in many different ways,

but we seldom immediately understand,

It takes a moment

Deep within

Where wrong is changed by right

This is such a moment

Deep within

Where silence is touched by sight

This is such a moment

Deep within

Where soul is illuminated by light

This is such a moment

And all we already know is cubed by

that Moment.

MOMENTOUS

+++

Con Christeson

MOMENTOUS

It takes a Moment

Deep within

Where silence is touched by sight

Where soul is illuminated by light

Where wrong is changed by right

And all we already know is cubed by

that Moment

but we seldom immediately understand

MOMENTOUS

God gets through to us

in many different ways

+++

Edna Patterson-Petty

Deep within

Where soul is illuminated by light

Where wrong is changed by right

And all we already know is cubed

by that Moment

Where silence is touched by sight

God gets through to us

in many different ways

but we seldom immediately understand

It takes a Moment

T h i s I s S u c h A M o m e n t

+++

Callie Winn

we seldom understand

or know

or see

or touch

the many different ways

God gets through to us

sees us

touches us

but already deep within

there is a place

of silence

where light

illumines soul

and momentous change

(it only takes a moment)

MOMENTOUS change

gets through

and wrong is right

and dark is light

and all we know is cubed

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FASCINATION by John Winn

I am fascinated by the interaction of virtually every aspect of life. By now you have probably heard the phrase that goes something like this, "A butterfly can flutter off the northeast coast of the United States and effect the weather off the coast of Florida." I am from New Orleans and often think in terms of Gumbo. The onion. bell pepper, and celery you cut and place in the Gumbo roux can alter the flavor of the okra you put in five minutes ago, to say nothing of the effect the shrimp and oysters have on the whole. Every part of the Gumbo effects every other part, releasing the incredible composite flavor of the dish.

One can easily correlate this to the family. Or even to a community of friends. Or even to the solar system. I have spent well over half my vocational life in the Church and find the same sense of interaction within that system. Simply to be aware of the ripple effect of a divorce within a family or the death of the patriarch or matriarch is example enough. Or the ripple effect of a storm like Katrina on a community with countless families dealing with medical needs, insurance disputes, even relocation. Or the ripple effect of global warming on our part of the solar system.

I have only scratched the surface of the fascinating nature of the interaction of all aspects of life. I would be interested in some of the ways that fascination has been a part of your own life, or the life of the church you serve or attend. Share some areas of unexpected interaction and the insights you have derived from the experiences.

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