a cycle of time

time ending
time staying
time being time
historical time
mocks cyclic time

the book of daniel
appears to be the book of
the end of time
this year

liturgical time
weaves in and out
of the calender

liturgical time is to the calender
what a lover's quarrel is to a watch

roman catholics end the year
and begin the year
with the biblical acknowledgement
of christ as the king

the king who makes all other kings
look a little silly
but does not call them on their
roles
perceived
figured
or
real

we aim at the darkest night
as the time for birth
of the light

we end the year
with a quiet sigh
we sigh for a week
then start again

anticipation in the darkest days
the land goes to rest

life grew complicated
when we realized that the southern hemisphere
lives seasonal time
in opposition
to the north

what is it like to celebrate christmas
in the summer in
argentina

but we speak of our biblical awareness
in the church in terms of cycles

we crown the year with the
bold acknowledgement
that the cross has changed us
and our hearts beat to the sound
of fantastic hope

there are musical themes
sounded in churches throughout the world
which echo the awareness
of our time out of time

now is the time of our fading certainties
now is the time of our sighing apprehensions
now is the time of our praise of twelve months passing

now is the time of the darkening colors
the time of the freezing earth

we crown and we anticipate the king
all in a long bewildered sigh

we know by faith
we act by faith
we trust by faith

faith in what we do not yet understand
faith in things invisible
faith in the human heart
and the willingness to hope

we begin to carry familiar themes
forgotten from last year at this time
and we refuse to squander our treasure
in the chaos of forgetting
the grim distractions of our world
that seeks to transcend history
in historical time

but all that we are
and all that the world is
and all that our hearts hope
is sung again and again and again
to the song cycle of god's spinning earth

what is the sound of a murdered god
hanging on a tree in the wind?
what is the sound of his blood dripping on
earth?
what is the sound of the earth
groaning?
of the sound in the depths of our shared being
yearning to be freed
from the complications which
all but overwhelm us?

christ our king
the one who gives
and forgives
that we might give and forgive
give us faith that we might give
give us patience to forgive
help us to be
always
for giving
then we might be pleased again
to serve the song of your kingdom
to sing in your chapel choir
to hear the din of the world in our hearts
and sing the tones of our faithful knowledge

today i heard the ice sing with the nearly frozen water
and i heard a tone that the earth sings

who is the king of glory
he the holy one
raise high the gates o jerusalem
the king of glory comes