Between Easter and Pentecost

In our Vesper's celebration each Wednesday at Otter Creek, we follow the church calendar. The calendar now stands between Easter and Pentecost.

I have a new book of the prayers of Walter Brueggemann. His prayers often qualify as poetry in their form and language. Here is one for the season:

Candidates for Newness

We live the long stretch between

Easter and Pentecost, scarcely noticing.

We hear mention of the odd claim of ascension.

We easily recite the creed,

"He ascended into heaven."

We bow before such quaint language and move on,

immune to ascent,

indifferent to enthronement

unresponsive to new governance.

It is reported that behind the ascending son was

the majestic Father riding the clouds

But we do not look up much;

we stay close to the ground to business and

to busyness

to management and control.

Our world of well-being has a very low

ceiling, but we do not mind the closeness

or notice the restrictiveness.

It will take at least a Pentecost wind to

break open our vision enough to imagine new governance.

We will regularly say the creed

and from time to time--in crises that

drive us to hope and to wish--

wait for a new descent of the spirit among us.

Until then, we stay jaded,

but for all that,

no less candidates for newness.

Walter Brueggemann Prayers for Privileged People

(sorry, Blogger is not allowing me today to put the prayer in poetric arrangement as written) Why???