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Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Here is my black stallion. I would like to take him to the blessings of the animals day and maybe the priest will bless him out in the parking lot.
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Here is my black stallion. I would like to take him to the blessings of the animals day and maybe the priest will bless him out in the parking lot.
We have had animals present in several of my churches - I never care. My dog has come more than once. In previous churches we conducted a blessing of the animals - well attended and well loved by all.
Best was during one of those services, we had the wildlife rescue come and bring critters. The hawk they brought got spooked by one of the dogs, took off across the sanctuary and enroute took a dump on the altar. Everyone looked on in horror till I started laughing and grabbed some paper towels. Too bad we didn't have it on video.
Yes that is my horse and I am his person. He is an Arabian and the kindest, most intelligent horse I have ever known.
"Around the herd the stallion wheels his flight,
Engine of beauty, volted with delight."
My mother once told me about a Monestary in the desert that she visited. Monks would go out in the desert and stay for days in solitude. She said she saw one come back to the church with an unearthly light in his eyes. Dogs wandered in and out of the church at will. It was probably a Franciscan Monestary.
Last edited by BlackberryMerlot; 03-23-2018 at 09:40 AM..
Since I attend the Outside Church of Mother Nature, critters are integral members of the congregation.
Me too, Trout Dude.
Do you fish? I fly fish, but I cut the hooks off at the bend. Since it is about fooling a trout and seeing the take, why catch and release? Not only that, its all dry fly fishing.
From the book A River Runs Through It- " We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ's disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman."
Yes that is my horse and I am his person. He is an Arabian and the kindest, most intelligent horse I have ever known.
"Around the herd the stallion wheels his flight,
Engine of beauty, volted with delight."
My mother once told me about a Monestary in the desert that she visited. Monks would go out in the desert and stay for days in solitude. She said she saw one come back to the church with an unearthly light in his eyes. Dogs wandered in and out of the church at will. It was probably a Franciscan Monestary.
That is lovely, both the verse and your mother's story.
In a study group I attended, we read a book called Care for Creation, which is basically about what they call Franciscan Theology. It resonated with me, because I've always felt that the outdoors is the "real" church. At least it's the place where I have always felt closest to God since I was a little girl.
Franciscan Theology calls upon us to see ourselves as a part of all creation, not something we are separate from or superior to. To see the other animals (and in my case, trees and rocks, too ) as something to which we are connected.
Franciscan Theology I will read this book, Queen. Here is something I wrote you will like and I offer to those here. Its called The Holy Trinity of Woman, Dog and Mare. Tamar was the first and greatest of all my horses. She lived 40 years.
Clouds hung low on the coast range hills in the blue hour of a rainy evening. The whippet shot like an arrow over the grass and Tamar lengthened her stride to follow the dog. I ducked low to hide my face from the stinging rain and with a slight shift of weight, turned the running mare into the wind. Easy as a bird lifts it's wing the strength of the horse vaulted us over the crest of the hill. Down the lee side the dog raced and Tamar accelerated after her with a squeal of joy from me. Even her name gallops with power, Tamar, Tamar, Tamar.
We stopped to breathe on the breast of the next hill. The little greyhound ran forward and back, and came up grinning from her run. She lifted her muzzle and looked from Tamar's face to mine. Tamar bent to sniff her, then turning, nudged my foot. I felt our deep satisfaction with each other, the perfect balance of creatures, the holy trinity of woman, dog and mare.
At the cloud's edge of lowering silver gleamed a faint purple radiance. It is the evergreen cloud forest, watered by fog in even the driest season. Into the luminosity we vanished, eager and without looking back. The wet drapery of branches took us in, then desire too was dropped. For who would wish to be in any other than this perfect world? Fir and Bay, hemlock and maple dripped damp on the floor of moss. The three of us stood among the timeless ferns and towering trees. In the womb of the world the redwood trunks are pillars of the temple. Down at their feet cold bright flowers burned. Wild pink orchids pearled with rain, blue violets and the yellow stars of sorrel.
Tamar nosed the red rhododendron's bloom then shook the water and pollen from her lips. Then stood with up pricked ears. The silence rang. She un-knew what I un-knew. The dog listened with glistening eyes, then deerlike, lifted a foot. And in that moment....perfection... not attained, but yielded.
We are priestesses. We serve the beauty that made the world. By being none other than what we are, the one great life enfolds us. There are no separate parts.
The above word 'Dog' is actually the word for a female dog. CD seems to think it is a curse word and censors it. This balance of female energy I do not feel with the stallion, he is male. But he has other wonderful and magical qualities. When I go out at night and call him from the pasture there is the sound of approaching thunder. He materializes before me out of the dark, as if the night had come alive. The Arab legend, it is in the Koran I think- And God took a handful of the south wind and said I bid you condense. I create you horse. I give you flight without wings.
Do you fish? I fly fish, but I cut the hooks off at the bend. Since it is about fooling a trout and seeing the take, why catch and release? Not only that, its all dry fly fishing.
From the book A River Runs Through It- " We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ's disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman."
Yes, I wet a line now and again. But I don't fly fish, yet. Saving it for my old age. I'm only 66. Maybe in four years.
I loved the movie.
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