hopeful imagination

Andy has set up a Lenten Blog to which I am contributing during Lent. I decided to do Wednesdays, which means I do the first one – which happens also to be my birthday! So the giving up for Lent bit is going to be in some tension with celebrating my continuing existence!

So every Wednesday for the next 6 weeks I will be posting at "hopeful imagination" See here . Meanwhile, before Lent begins, some verses from that spiritually precise metaphysical poet, George Herbert

Welcome deare feast of Lent: who loves not thee,
He loves not Temperance, or Authoritie,
        But is compos’d of passion.
The Scriptures bid us fast; the Church sayes, now:
Give to thy Mother, what thou wouldst allow
        To ev’ry Corporation.

True Christians should be glad of an occasion
To use their temperance, seeking no evasion,
        When good is seasonable;
Unlesse Authoritie, which should increase
The obligation in us, make it lesse,
        And Power it self disable.

It ‘s true, we cannot reach Christ’s fortieth day;
Yet to go part of that religious way,
        Is better than to rest:
We cannot reach our Savior’s purity;
Yet are bid, Be holy ev’n as he.
        In both let ‘s do our best.

Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone,
Is much more sure to meet with him, than one
        That travelleth by-ways:
Perhaps my God, though he be far before,
May turn, and take me by the hand, and more
        May strengthen my decays.

Yet Lord instruct us to improve our fast
By starving sin and taking such repast
        As may our faults control:
That ev’ry man may revel at his door,
Not in his parlor; banqueting the poor,
        And among those his soul.