"Good Reading Material"

From Francis X. McAloon SJ, a lady who practice lectio divina, she claims helps her to focus.
First, prayer began with silence. That's a different approach, most prayer began with words.
Second, followed by lectio, a slow reading of poetic text. Next came meditatio, reading and pausing at words or images that draw attention. Next to oratio, addressing God in personal prayer. Lastly, contemplatio, an invitation to silence, and remaining open to God's presence.
And this is a method for "Reading for Transformation" through poetry.

"The Spirit of God Hovered"

Steven M. Fettke, is speaking of having a disability in relations to creation. Instead of being loved and accepted for who they are they are often condemned for their lack of faith or apparent demonization simply by virtue of their having a disability or chronic illness. In creation God provides our animation or "life force" that identifies us as who we are. A disabled person should be valued in the way that God has made them. Lastly, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. There is successful ministry in working with the handicap and disabled, and it is the church responsibility.

"Generative Tension Between " GOD" and "EARTH"
Through nearly fifty years of poetry, Mary Oliver has undertaken the task of loving nature as a deeply spiritual work. Nature is where the poet can discover the joy and terror, the truths and feelings that religion seem unable to provide. He or she, who loves God, will look most deeply into His works. She bows down at the presence of of God on Earth.

Beauty and the Creative Impulse
Luci Shaw says, Beauty is still visible in the fingerprints of the Creator on the natural world, in the wilderness, and in human beings who reflect the Creator's beauty. Beauty can neither be controlled nor programmed. The vocation of the artist is to awaken our sensitivity of beauty.
Too often beauty is taken for granted because we are moving too fast to take it in and allow it to deliver its message in us. We need to pay attention!