Poem: God of the Gorge

God of the Gorge

God of the gorge

Broken rock, wind stripped tree

Crashing water, twisting, descending

God of power

Elemental raging 

What is flesh to you?

A home, a dwelling

Joy and laughter

Mother, brother, wedding feast

God of the gorge

broken body, whipped, stripped

Descending to darkness

In the lifting up

Rise again, alive again

Come again

Make all joy complete

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Poem: Everything and Nothing

Everything and Nothing

When you hear the Lord say "Do not be afraid for I am with you."

Cling to him as your refuge

When the Lord speaks your name

Let the words sink deep into your soul

When the Lord says you are precious, without price, and so deeply beloved

There find your rest

His presence changes everything

And nothing

But you are held by God

Enfolded in the arms of love

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Forever Imprinted By You

Your shaking hands touched me

Grasping my rough imperfections

Taking my burden upon you

I am what you came here for

You are what I’ve been fashioned for

I can tell that still you love me

Carried until you stumble

Then hauled by another to the place

where we lay defenseless

Your hands pressed against me

The spikes that pierce you

pierce me also

Driven through you

Deep into me.

Your blood spills over me

Soaking into my grain

Like a Passover door post

Forever marked before the Lord

We are lifted up

And I can provide little comfort to you

in your time of trial

You are abandoned

And I alone am left to embrace you

Let this last embrace be one of love

I give what I have to you

You who have absorbed such bitter hate

To be so close to the one I love

These terrible, holy moments

Now in your hour of death

I chant a blessing for your dying

“Receive your servant

His trials done

Let not death hold him

Your beloved Son”

Then you breathe your last

And your spirit departs

I shudder along with all creation

At the emptiness that descends upon us.

I hold your body till you are taken down

Then I am empty, but not barren

Never the same

Forever imprinted by you

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola.If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: By Your Wounds

By Your Wounds

There you are, wounded in your person

Drawing me close to you

To join myself with you

You open my heart and I weep

To see you afflicted, mortal, suffering

I am stricken

Then I am on fire

All my wounds blazing

Burning, overwhelming my senses

I did not come here for this

I came for you, not my woundedness

Jesus, you can’t help it, can you

Always there for me

Seeking my good, even in your time of trial

“Come closer,” you say

Bring my wounds close to yours

uniting them together

Sorrow and love flow mingled down all around me

And you say this is the beginning of my restoration

Mending what’s broken

Redeeming the losses

Making things right

Such blessed suffering you give me

That by your wounds I am healed

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: Your Wounds

Jesus, you call me to come to you

In your passion

Inviting me to be close to you

Whatever comes

Though my heart shudders to behold

And my body wants to flee

I see you there, suffering

I do not want to leave you alone

Or abandon you.

So I draw near

Joining you in your suffering

I see you separated from your friends

All alone, praying in agony

betrayed with a kiss

Arrested, accused, struck, judged

Beaten, mocked, abused, bloodied

Rejected, sentenced, carrying, falling, nailed

Weakened, suffering, abandoned

Forgiving, dying

I see you

And your wounds

Deepest wounds of love

Opened and offered up

Wounding complete

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: Thirsting

Thirsting

I know that I am thirsty

That I need you

And sometimes I can discern my lack

Deep in my heart

A longing, unquenched desire

For you to fill this dusty vessel

And so I come to the source of living water

You

You know that I am thirsty

That I need you

You can discern my lack

Deep in my heart

Full of longing and unquenched desire

For you to fill my dusty vessel

You invite me to the source of living water

You

And then I recognize that you are also thirsty

Parched by my distance

Experiencing my absence deep in your heart

You long for me with unquenched desire

Longing to fill this empty vessel

To be my source, my living water

You

Thirsting for me

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: Comfort Me

Comfort me

Comfort me, Lord

This life swirls around me

Pressures, responsibilities

All these desires

Conflicts, antagonisms

Rubbing raw

Exposing fissures

Needs

For you

And if I opened my heart

Unveiled my soul

Such sorrowful Joy

With you to comfort me

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Poem: Poor In Spirit

Jesus

You called me and I followed

Not knowing where you would lead

It wasn’t glorious or heroic

But deeper into poverty of spirit

So many things on the journey were broken, fallen, twisted

Things that you hope to redeem

But have not

Yet

There’s never enough time to mourn all the destruction

Nor could I bear it

So, one foot in front of the other

Persevere

With as much love as I can muster

And when perseverance wearied my bones

You called me on a deeper journey

Into You

Met with compassion, befriended

Drawn to living water

Companioned

The time of redemption begins

When You make morning flee

And wipe away tears

Plant trees that heal

My soul

Blessed to receive the kingdom.

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: The One That I Love (Jesus)

The One That I Love (Jesus)

I watch You with the intent to know

What motivates You

What is that inner passion that stirs in You?

Spirit blessed and directed

You look at me with eyes that are full

Of laughter, joy and longing

But what I notice most is Your eyes for others

You see, know and love

Love, for the good

Love for the weak

Love in brokenness

Love in the very heart of God

Your heart which overflows

You overflow me

Let me watch the One I love

Loving that I may love

Seeing with Your eyes

Your compassion flowing through my heart

Speaking words of freedom

United

At home with You.

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: A Journey of Soul Restoration

Lord, my hands are your hands
I give them to you

But your Kingdom does not stand or fall on my work
You have your own power and your own ways
You can raise up hands to serve you from these stones

Save me from the sin of self-importance
I can only receive what is given
I can only give when you invite

So I desire to trust you
And let you lead me amid the brokenness 
On a journey of soul restoration
Knowing that you are far better than what I can imagine
And more with me than I could dare to hope

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.