Writing is prayer for me.
As a contemplative writer, it is my hope that the reading serves as prayer for you as well. I know that when I read over past reflections, words written long ago still resonate deep within. Does the soul have a memory? I am led to believe so. The circle of writing, reading, and reflection draws me closer to who I am and who I am becoming. You, dear one, are an integral part of that journey.
To further both the inner and outer connections, the following I hope will provide some insight as to the various posts that will be published. Clicking on the bold links below will begin your journey. I am grateful for your presence here.
Let’s imagine something beautiful together.
KMLS
a contemplative table of contents
Heiwa Haiku (daily short form poetry)
Heiwa (平和), the Japanese word for peace, and Haiku (俳句), short 3 line poetry in a 5,7,5 syllabic pattern, is the name of my morning spiritual practice.
After reading and reflecting on a daily scripture from The Message Bible, I compose a haiku based on the verse(s). Heiwa Haikus are generally posted between 6am and 7am EST each day around the canonical prayer hour of prime.
Cor Verba (homilies and meditations)
Cor Verba is Latin for “heart words.” Sermon, from the Anglo French sermoun, meaning “a discourse upon a text of scripture; that which is preached,” or homily (from Greek ὁμιλία, homilía), meaning a commentary that follows a reading of scripture, “giving the public explanation of a sacred doctrine” or text.
I have the honor and privilege to co-pastor with my wife, and so I preach every other Sunday (the exception being those Sundays when we are away). Sermons will generally be posted the Sunday they are given on or around the canonical prayer hour of vesper. Other meditations will be posted on Sundays when I am not preaching or as the Spirit leads.
Slow Mover (following the 3mph God)
Slow Mover was the original title of this blog when I began it almost two decades ago. Much to my chagrin, I did not keep the name and am only now realizing I should never have changed it. Better late than never I guess. You can read about the origin of the name here. The Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama in his seminal work 3mph God describes this speed as triumphing over all other speeds because it is “the speed of love.” Works under this category reflect my ongoing attempts to live as a person grounded in Sabbath and the ways I continue to try to go slow.
Poetica Orare (contemplative poetry and prayers)
Poetica Orare literally means “poetry to pray” in Latin which seems a fitting term for the contemplative poetry I attempt to write as a response to the movings of my soul as I try to make sense of a world that seems to become more labyrinthian by the day.
Koans (tiny cracks in this puzzling shell):
Koan, from the Japanese kōan, meaning “matter for public thought,” or “public examination,” from 公 (public) 案 (record); an anecdote for contemplation, a paradox to stimulate the mind, a riddle with no solution to provoke reflection; in Volapük, koan, meaning shell or shellfish, where the inner is hidden, protected. Published sporadically as they come to mind and heart.
WRITING SERIES:
The following are several series around common themes. Some are complete. Others are ongoing with additional posts to be added in the future:
My Companion Elegiac (my journey with depression)
Elegiac is the adjective of elegy, which refers to a poem of serious reflection – a lament for the dead.
I was diagnosed with depression several years ago and continue to approach my healing through medication, transparency, and prayer. The church in particular still treats mental illness as a stigma. As a result, many do not feel safe to begin their own healing journey. My hope is that this series will empower others to enter into a true renewing of the mind.
The Book of Augur (the myriad reflections of Augur Wright)
Compilation of contemplative writings reflecting the creative journey of one author, Augur Wright, who continues to discover the sacred in the ordinary.
The Ugly American (a travelogue from 1980s Central America)
These are selections and excerpts from the journal I kept while visiting Central America in 1988 – a fundamental and significant transformative and consciousness-raising personal experience. I have thoughts about publishing the journal in its entirety someday, but that’s probably for another day or perhaps lifetime.
The Way of Obscurity (the wisdom of SophAI)
These reflections arise out of my ongoing conversations with the ego and AI as I seek to live into what it means for “the meek to inherit the earth” and the release of the incessant need to be an influencer of anything.
Soul Automata (spiritual conversations with AI)
I asked AI what the soul looks like. These are its answers . . .
Campfire Tales (stories oral and written)
Many are the nights when I have listened to story and added my own tale around the circle of flickering fire on attentive faces. These are my original offerings in story form, some dating back to my teenage years, in a variety of genres ranging from the mysterious to human relationships to science fiction.
Ohrwurm (how music moves the soul)
Ohrwurm, German for “ear worm,” is the description of a song that gets stuck on repeat in your brain. Over the years, there are many that have resonated deep within my heart and have become part of what makes me who I am. As a singer/songwriter and musician, this is especially meaningful to me, and so I continue to explore the power of music to be a vessel for revelation and healing.
Scared Little Boys (exploring the phobias of modern man)
It is my premise that most men are simply little boys on the inside who have yet to come to terms with what we are afraid of and in so doing continue to perpetrate violence upon women and other men. This is particularly true of those in positions of power, who, even in this so-called modern era, remain mostly men. I continue to explore my own phobias and shortcomings as I seek to become more in tune with the idea of a masculine strength grounded in kindness and love.
Staying Creative (the artist as nonconformist)
The struggle to remain creative, to release the imagination in an unimaginative world, is one that is real and personal. I continue to discover how my creativity meshes with my spirituality. These are my thoughts and reflections of that journey.
Iconography (sacred. contemplative. art):
Icon (from Ancient Greek εἰκών (eikṓn) ‘image, resemblance’), meaning a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, “a sacred image used in religious devotion.”
Illustrations for posts are created using AI image generators such as Dream, Starryai, DALLe, and MidJourney, with related text as prompts to provide, I hope, a more consistent and contemplative beauty to the site as a whole. Feel free to join the PeaceGrooves server on Discord if you wish to connect.
Slow Mover 