FootprintsintheWind.com

How is an elder a prophet?

:- Doug.

People who have come together
(convened, in covenant)
can sing

:- Doug.

Look. Discern. The power of fatigue, the structure of numbness, are about to shatter. Sacredness—ever surrounding us, upholding us—will come again to our notice, lovingkindness will be practiced again, from the heart of us.

:- Doug.

Before the elder speaks, we know no possible newness, no future we’d want.

:- Doug.

God is free. Free of us. Free of our pictures. Free to change.

:- Doug.

What is a doxology that goes beyond small pictures of God?

:- Doug.

Learn something.

:- Doug.

Dollars and numbers are just the current version of chasing after wealth and fame, those empty bags.

:- Doug.

There is one world, one now.

:- Doug.

Reality is not primarily Dollars and numbers, although they are a part of reality. The primary portion is hidden by the drum beats and billboards and media images of those who want to collect Dollars and numbers. Real life is coming together and expanding, is loving and creating. Real life creates more love.

:- Doug.

Push out the boundaries of our concepts of God, to see God as that thread, and all heart, and community, and more. God as more principle, more verb than object. For objects are controllable. God is lovable. Unpredictable.

:- Doug.

G is at least the thread that runs through us.

:- Doug.

Best futures startle.

:- Doug.

Elders must redefine
move out the borders
set us to seeking fresh meaning

:- Doug.

Sing the song
of spirit & play
spirit & play
it’s the one we kings
cannot answer
spirit & play
sing sing sing!

:- Doug.

There is something larger at stake, and it is called by many names. Let us use life. Life wants to emerge. Life wants community. Life wants to draw the circle larger.

:- Doug.

You, grandchildren
are sovereign
you get to choose
eating yourselves to death
or living life the vulnerable

:- Doug.

How surely fatal
all our culture calls life

:- Doug.

of certitude and doubt
doubt is the way of life
give us doubt!

:- Doug.

The controlling culture, make no mistake, is not the act of those in control, it is our own creation, sustained by each of us every day. That makes it more powerful because so many add to it. Our protest would be to seven billion of us. Our grief is shared with as many. We are chained to each other. Amazing we can break these chains.

:- Doug.

The announcement is amazing precisely because of its audacity in the face of the controlling culture.

:- Doug.

Elders announce a new beginning
announce the new to victims
of the old ways

:- Doug.

Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1740

You’re an elder at 30 when you endeavor
to decide who will raise your children
if you cannot & how

You’re an elder at 40 when you taste
adversity & choose not to let the bitter
go into your words

You’re an elder at 50 when you forgive
yourself for the fishing trips
you’ll never have with your buddy

You’re an elder at 60 when you bury
your parents and stand in the
withering winds of grief

You’re an elder at 70 when you give
your best self to your grandchildren
and silently pray they were hearing

You’re an elder at 80 when you see
you still have work to do and
gifts to give

Mostly you’re an elder when you give
your best for the good of
the generations

Elder is not an age
Elder is a state

Please pass it on.

© c 2018, Learning Works, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Easy reprint permissions: 574/291-0022, or by e-mail to mailto:Footprints AT FootprintsInTheWind.com. Back issues available at http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com