Welcome to this month’s Abbey Photo Party!
I select a theme and invite you to respond with images.
We began this month with a Community Lectio Divina practice with words from the ancient Hebrew text of the Song of Songs. While the northern hemisphere begins to turn to spring through the arrival of birdsong and blossoms, we are all invited to tend to our inner flowering. In my own prayer with the text, the word “arise” shimmered strongly, which is an invitation to awaken from slumber, to take action in the world, to bring more beauty to life.
I invite you for this month’s Photo Party to hold these words in your heart as you go out in the world to receive images in response. As you walk be ready to see what is revealed to you as a visual expression of your prayer.
You can share images you already have which illuminate the theme, but I encourage you also to go for a walk with the theme in mind and see what you discover.
You are also welcome to post photos of any other art you create inspired by the theme. See what stirs your imagination!
How to participate:
You can post your photo either in the comment section below* (there is now an option to upload a file with your comment – your file size must be smaller than 1MB – you can resize your image for free here – choose the “small size” option and a maximum width of 500).
You can also join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there. Feel free to share a few words about the process of receiving this image and how it speaks of the “Arise and bloom” for you.
*Note: If this is your first time posting, or includes a link, your comment will need to be moderated before it appears. This is to prevent spam and should be approved within 24 hours
26 Responses
Arise and Bloom says it all…
Sooo Gorgeous!! What type of butterfly is this?
This green shoot symbolizes me arising to join my Beloved at His invitation to Come and be with Him. That so speaks to my heart. I love how He calls me His beautiful one! Makes my heart soar!
Oh I love this! The pic and the thoughts behind it. Blessings.
I was siting above my herb garden with a friend and this beautiful girl came to visit. We enjoyed the early spring morning and the promise of the season. Dreaming of sun hot tomatoes.
Last week I had the blessing of attending a directed Ignatian retreat at Mepkin Abbey (Near Charleston, SC). The bees were humming away fast at work pollinating. This is a busy bee at work.
I recently took this image at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. When I returned home, I was reminded of the Ron Wallace poem and last line: “Some days I know I am long for this world. I can go home again. And when I go, I can take it with me.” To me this said, “I can arise.”
HE will arise! We will arise!
Oh, and arise with the friendly blue bird that came to sit with me and bring all the winged ones so close as doves of peace and enlightenment. It’s color is of the sky and ocean… infinite and of the Beyond…
i paint a picture in words without camera… the word arise came powerfully to play on my heart strings… arise from the grief that covered the horizon as a garment of fog,
arise to the poppies growing beside the road and on hillsides of drought, arise to the lovely purple bush of wildflowers smiling so gaily in the green, arise from fear of separation and death to glory in the present moment and new day blooming with Easter lilies and song of Alleluia’s and Presence of the Risen One.
As I contemplated the passage in Song of Songs, three words stood out to me – flowers, bloom and fragrance. And I thought, “I want to be a flower that blooms giving off a fragrance to draw people to Jesus.” The picture I am sharing is a picture/poem from my art journal that I did very recently and I think it illustrates the theme of “Arise and Bloom.”
I spent a day of Lenten Reflection using my camera at Tranquility Point Sanctuary and when I saw this little bloom in the desert of a gravel, limestone and red dirt road on my walk it reminded me of the following from Isaiah 35
” the desert will bloom with flowers.
It will be very glad and shout with joy.
The glorious beauty of Lebanon will be given to it.
It will be as beautiful as the rich lands
of Carmel and Sharon.
Everyone will see the glory of the Lord.
They will see the beauty of our God.”
Wonderful photo Trudy. I love it when scripture comes alive for us! Thanks for sharing this.
Grateful for your offering that blossomed in my inbox at the stroke of midnight, this Palm Sunday <3
(Having finished writing a foreword to a poetry Book of Hours this afternoon, and having taking this photo of these poppies, also this afternoon… And currently reading Daring Greatly… So much of your words and meditations resonated. I enter Holy Week so gratefully awake.)