 Contemplative Outreach of Central Pennsylvania Newsletter
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Welcome to the September 2013 issue of the
Jet and I have been co-editors of this newsletter since its inception in April 2009. This is the 17th issue of the newsletter! (All past issues are available here.) It has been a joy to work on these newsletters with Jet, and an honor to provide this service to our local chapter of Contemplative Outreach. Many thanks to everyone who has supported us in our efforts including, but not limited to, Nicole and Sr. Therese at Bethany, Nancy and Tim, our chapter co-chairs, Shannon, our able website developer, and everyone who has contributed to the newsletter. I will be stepping down as co-editor after our next issue this winter. We've had one generous person who has volunteered to help on the next issue. If others would like to work on the newsletter, please contact me ( Gwen). It's a rewarding and fun (really!) project. Now to this issue... As a celebration of the beauty of nature and how it can touch the human soul, we'd like to present a collection of Haiku's written by contemplative voices from the community - some older, some younger. We hope you'll enjoy reading them, and perhaps even feel inspired to write your own. The beautiful nature photography accompanying the Haiku's was provided by Oedi Oudshoorn, the Netherlands.
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Peace One Day 2013
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Join millions of people worldwide on Saturday, September 21st, the United Nations International Day of Peace, celebrated with a global cease-fire for one day. On Peace Day in 2007, 1.4 million children in dangerous, unsettled areas in Afghanistan were able to receive polio vaccines by workers from Unicef. The areas were normally inaccessible because of fighting, and the disease is common there. Food was distributed in previously inaccessible (because of violence) areas in Somalia, as well. Peace One Day started as a grassroots initiative by British documentary film maker Jeremy Gilley in 1999, and has since grown to include every country in the United Nations. To do our part, we will celebrate Peace One Day 2013 in State College, PA.
Where:
Community Peace Labyrinth, State College
When:
September 21st at noon
Please bring a blanket or chair; we'll join others all over the world for 20 minutes of centering prayer/meditation at the Community Peace Labyrinth. After that, we'll walk the labyrinth together in silence for world peace.
For more information and directions, please call Don & Jet Schneider @ 814-238-0010.
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HAIKU
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A circle of friends
joined in life,
walking, noticing
- Melanie
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Feathered friends chirping-
flitting, collecting, making nests for fledgling friends.
- Sara Jane
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 Discovering God's Presence Opening, safe space
- Cindy
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God is
Nearer than my forehead
Dearer than my breath.
-Lisa | 
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Space between the sound Peaceful, sweet, happy, joy All abuzz with love
- Cam
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 Plumes of grass remain
atop dried stems still standing
after winter's wrath
- Sara Jane
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Rainclouds passing through
chased by a double rainbow
sweet scent of the earth
- Lorna
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Mountains, plains,seas sky
Butterfly, bluebird, spruce, strawberry
All reflect God's love
- Charleen
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Butterflies, magic, tree bark
Moon, sun, change, dark, light
- Esme age 6, and Gretchen
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Icy cold current
Plunging over the rock ledge
Soul awakens here
- Audrey
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Rain begins falling
Puddles filling the sidewalk
Rainbow at the end
- Maxine
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 Snow-covered corn husks offer food for geese and deer- eye-candy for us.
- Sara Jane
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The frosty night's bright stars
twinkling gave my eye delight
sparkling like diamonds
- Barb
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cicadas humming
in the trees all around me
heartbeat of Spirit
- Jet
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the earth hugs my spirit
as rain mends my broken heart
and winds kiss memory
- Mike
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Space for the sacred
to re-center all seasons
of life and of love
- Rich
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Hummingbird dancing
before Salvia. Sweet sips
from the Lord's banquet.
- Fran
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Cat purring on lap Resonating in belly Cathedral of Peace
- Jet
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A cardinal visits
Fluttering Spirit in red
Moves me towards peace.
- Cindy
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Up shady hillsides
Tall windmills spin above us
Long, dark tunnels chill
- Warren, composed while on bicycle ride from Frostburg, MD to Rockton, PA on the Great Allegheny Passage rails-to-trails bikeway
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Sunlight dances through
Delicate green lace curtains
On the streamside path
- Regina
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sing under the stars
with a banjo out of tune
the crickets don't mind
- gwen
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Pink, yellow, orange, white
Butterflies' August flowers
Bedeck the GAP Trail!
- Nickie, composed while biking the Great Allegheny Passage in southwestern PA
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Smell of coffee rises
New beginning of the day Joyful outlook born -Maxine
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The sun is rising
Dew drops down the grass at dawn
Woods awakening
-Wytse, age 11
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he has so much pain
it steals his joy, robs him blind somewhere God is there - gwen |
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Flies skipping puddles
atop the tent above me
rain softly falling
- Lorna
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Whir of hummingbirds.
In groves of purple flowers.
Ringing fairy bells.
- Katherine
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 Sword held over head Love enters and it transmutes To defenselessness
- Maxine
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Hushed conversations
'round the fire on moonless night
Toad joins the circle
- Lorna
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the warm rising sun burns the shadows left by night the canyon awakes
- Lorna
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 With your ear on the ground hear the humming of the earth in stillness of night - Lorna
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