Spring Creatives Retreat Poems by Dominique and Michele

We returned from our Spring Creatives Retreat yesterday with full hearts. Dominique Callins and Michele Bowden each share a few thoughts below:

At the Mountain

We gather at the mountaintop to seek our God.

We come down
bearing joy and unity as our

light and precious load, singing praises-
Glorified are you on the mountain!
Gracious and merciful are you, Emmanuel,
that you come down
with us
To where we live. -Dominique Callins

Oh, King of Glory

Oh, King of Glory, I come to meet with You at the crossroads.

You carry me through season after season,

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

You reveal Yourself in winter and in the cold,

and in the spring sun with its shifting shadows.

Through summer breezes and glistening waters,

You lead us into the splendid colors of fall.

I can rest and trust and believe

that You are in the midst of renewing me,

no matter the season,

no matter the circumstance.

Oh, King of Glory.

When winter turns toward spring,

I see the daffodils and the forsythia,

the dogwoods and the budding cherries bloom.

And I know You are with me

as the sun glistens upon the icy patches,

melting away my hardened heart.

You are softening my resolve,

my resistance.

In times when I cannot see where the sun is shining,

You are building within me

a resilience that leads to renewal.

I know another season is coming,

and when I finally step into it,

I can trust what You are doing and providing in the midst of it.

When spring slowly fades into summer

and the heat comes,

while flies and pestilence surround,

I can still cry out,

“Amen to the King of Glory!”

Oh, You are the King of Glory.

There are seasons when we come to crossroads

and we see You at work,

bringing forth new things.

And we behold the King of Glory

in a new light,

in a new season.

We are not letting go of the past season

so much as bringing it with us,

in remembrance…

So that we may keep growing,

keep trusting,

keep declaring,

and keep leaning into the King of Glory.

Where else can we see

ice warming upon the trees,

the sun dancing upon the waters,

mountain shadows shifting,

and the green gathering

as buds break forth?

Only in the presence of the King of Glory.

-Michele Bowden