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!

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

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