Women’s Faith Sharing
Women’s Faith Sharing welcomes anyone who identifies as a woman — with or without children – to gather in a supportive and safe environment, sharing our walk in faith through reading, conversation, prayer, and lots of laughter. Our gatherings often involve a book discussion but are sometimes simply for fellowship.
We meet on Mondays at 6:30 PM during the school year in the church library. Please join us!
At the vineyard!
More vineyard
Enjoying the holidays together
Selfie!
Poems & Prayers
We share poems and prayers as part of this initiative. Find some of them below, and suggest others to add!
A Strong Woman
A strong woman is a woman who loves strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly terrified and has strong needs.
A strong woman is strong in words, in action, in connecting, in feeling; she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf suckling her young. Strength is not in her but she enacts it as the wind fills a sail.
What comforts her is others loving her equally for her strength and for the weakness from which it issues.
Strong is what we make each other. Until we are all strong together, a strong woman is a woman strongly afraid.
Marge Piercy
Praying
“It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.”
Mary Oliver
Unthinkable
The angelic body bowed low
in adoration
Before the woman soon-to-be-
with child.
“Blessed,” he called her.
“Why?” she asked.
“Chosen,” was his answer.
He waited. She wondered.
“How? Not now!” she said.
“God changes time,” said
the messenger.
“A son but no husband?
A mother before
being a wife?”
“Impossible!” she protested.
“Exactly,” he smiled.
Jo-Ann Iannotti, OP
Light of Lights
the light that is every day
what is it really
its true nature?
there is light from the sun
the moon, from stars
comets and meteors
lightning, auroras, and solar flares
rainbows, sprites
and of course sunsets and sunrises
from lantern fish
at the bottom of the sea—
an eerie green light—
glow worms
fireflies
and some mushrooms
light reflected
from between the eyes of spiders
so we can see them in the dark
phosphorescent diatoms that sparkle
in the waves and sand
during red tides
rocks that glow
green and purple
in the dark
watch dials, television sets
flashlights, fiber-optic cables
cell phones and computers
there also is light in the eyes of children
lovers’ eyes
the unbearable lightness of being
and let us not forget spiritual lights
the guiding light of wisdom
light around the body, auras
enlightenment, the clear light
and who can forget the zohar
the book of radiance
but however much we learn
from science, literature, philosophy
or personal experience
about the light we see
and the light concealed
in the places we do not see
however much we read
meditate or experiment
however much we think we know
light is still a mystery
for we really
do not know
the beauty of sight
the existence of light
in all its varieties
is a mystery
pure and simple
beyond understanding
all we can do is be grateful
for this bounty and our ability
to perceive and distinguish it
2015 Henry Rasof
From “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”
“What do we do when our hearts hurt?” asked the boy
“We wrap them with friendship, shared tears and time
Till they wake hopeful and happy again.”
Charlie Mackesy
Psalm 23, King James Version
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Remember Me
Don’t remember me with sadness,
Don’t remember me with tears
Remember all the good times
Shared throughout the years.
Now I am contended
That my life it was worthwhile,
Because I know by loving you
That I made you smile.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind,
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
So please don’t’ be unhappy
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you
Every morning, noon and night.
Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I Am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
God brings us comfort
It is a blessing God brings us comfort,
And does it in a myriad of ways,
He uses circumstances and/or people,
Whether or not we respond with loving praise,
Jesus our loving Savior,
Died so that we may all live,
He did this for you, for me, for us,
So we could learn how to love and forgive,
We can all take example from this kindness,
To help others even when they don’t know,
At the end of the day at least God will,
And don’t forget the saying that we reap what we sow,
It may not be an immediate nor obvious reaping,
Because it may rely on us having faith,
To know we are better off because of the kindness,
Now that our neighbor is living in a better way,
I learn from the congregants in our church,
And appreciate you living in a faithful way,
Believing that we answer to God the Almighty,
So loving homage we will give in our own way
Kimberley Molaskey
The Art of Enduring
This blessing can wait as long as you can.
Longer.
This blessing began eons ago
and knows the art of enduring.
This blessing has passed
through ages and generations,
witnessed the turning of centuries,
weathered the spiraling of history.
This blessing is in no rush.
This blessing will plant itself
by your door.
This blessing will keep vigil
and chant prayers.
This blessing will bring a friend
for company.
This blessing will pack a lunch
and a thermos of coffee.
This blessing will bide
its sweet time
until it hears the beginning of breath,
the stirring of limbs,
the stretching, reaching, rising
of what had lain dead within you
and is ready to return.
Jan Richardson