By Carol Ingram
“I began writing
spiritual poetry some years ago when I was going through the Spiritual
Direction Internship with the Benedictine Sisters in Beech Grove, Indiana.
Under their loving care and guidance, I came to appreciate nature in new ways
and began to see all of creation as a reflection of God. As I wrote about what
I saw and experienced in nature through the medium of poetry I realized that
what I was doing was prayer. My husband, Terry, saw what was happening in me
and encouraged me by buying me a nice camera. That really expanded my interest
in nature and in capturing what I was seeing as well as experiencing. And so,
whenever I was in nature I took pictures and wrote when I felt inspired.
Part 2 of Out of Chaos is scripture based and comes from my lifelong love of scripture.
Through the teaching of the Spiritual Direction Internship and the Academy for
Spiritual Formation, I began praying with scripture, which expanded to praying
specifically with the Psalms these past few years. This way of praying has
become a part of my spiritual disciplines and writing prayers and poetry as a
response to this type of prayer became quite natural for me.
Part 3 in Out of Chaos is collection of poems and prayers that come from living life as
a Christian. These poems and prayers reflect the joys, struggles and questions
that come in following the teachings of Jesus. Several of them are about my Dad
who passed away this past year. What I learned in writing these poems and
prayers is they must be authentic in emotion. They must include the whole range
of how we feel, not just how we think we should respond to life as a Christian.
I decided to publish a
collection of these works as a part of my experience in the 2-year Academy for
Spiritual Formation. During the Academy, which is held at a retreat center in
Alabama I was surrounded by great teaching and nature with daily times for
silence and reflection. This was a perfect place for my gifts to be nurtured
and the writing increased in depth and frequency. A piece of the 2-year Academy
is to know that what we are doing and learning is ultimately for the sake of
others. They encourage us in the second year to think of how we might share our
experience of transformation with others. I felt led to compile my poetry, and
prayer into a book, which also incorporated my photos. The inspiration behind
the project was to invite others to think of prayer in expanded ways.
That inspiration needed
nurturing and so I began to talk with my writer/editor son who asked me all the
right questions about what I wanted the book to be. Through his questions and
encouragements, this book began to take form. I was able to sort out what I
wanted to include in the work and what did not fit this project. The format of
three sections began to take shape. I did not begin with the name of the book
and the name of the three sections. I began with the writing and let the
creative process of shaping the book unfold. It was Michael’s encouragement to
make the whole book a creative work of art that inspired me to find a shape and
a format for the book.
Before, I was focused on
each piece and the next piece I would write, with no idea of how they might all
fit together. What helped me most was knowing why I was doing the book in the
first place. It is not just a project; it is a tool for expanding the ministry
of prayer. I believe poetry and photography can be prayer. I believe being in
nature, appreciating nature, capturing glimpses of nature can all be a doorway
to prayer. I believe the discipline of praying with scripture is formative and
can help us move through the toughest times in our journey with integrity and
hope. And so, I offer this book to you as an inspiration to expand your image
and experience of prayer, to tread deeply in nature and scripture as a resource
for prayer and to live your life in an attitude of prayer. Our life with God is
our prayer life.”
_______________________________________________________________________
Carol Ingram, a writer and Spiritual Director living in Eads, Tennessee. Carol has been married to her high school sweetheart, Terry for over 30 years. They have two sons, both whom are married and one granddaughter. Carol is a recent graduate of the 2-year Academy for Spiritual Formation, completed her training as a Spiritual Director with the Benedictine Sisters in Beech Grove, Indiana and is trained as a Stephen Leader. She is a member of Collierville United Methodist Church and a member of Collierville Christian Writer’s. This is her first published work of poetry and prayer.
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