Liturgical Arts Week

So I'm sitting in the "living room" at Seattle Public Library. It's got to be the coolest library on the planet.

I'm here in transit for one of the more exciting weeks of my sabbatical. I am participating in a Liturgical Arts Week at the Grunewald Guild, up in the mountains outside Seattle.

The workshop features Jan Richardson, and artist, clergywoman and writer. Her work has been an inspiration to many at CMCL, and we've used her writing from time to time in worship. The week should be not only inspirational, jogging me out of my comfort zone, but I think I'll actually come home with fresh artwork created at the workshop. Should be a great time, with fruitful outcomes for myself and the congregation.

Here's a poem from her book, In Wisdom's Path (and a lovely prayer for a week creating art in the mountains!):

God of eye and ear,
of taste and touch,
of smell and of every sense
and source of knowing,
bless me not
with sight alone
but bless me also
with ears to hear
your voice
and tongue to taste
your essense
and nose to breathe
your fragrance
and fingertips to touch
your nearness
and heart to open
that door which is wisdom,
which is wonder,
which is all.