Posts by Serena Woods
Thriving

Music is a sign of a thriving culture. We celebrate ancient cultures that made instruments and imagine their concerts and the human creative drive that made them want to create and manipulate sounds in such a way that it becomes an outlet for emotion and thought. 2020 stole our concerts. This is a short lament about wondering if we’re thriving. It’s me calling out my past self for not traveling when I could.

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LifeSerena Woods2020, Covid
Weapons Of War

Fire surges through me and I want to her to know my disgust. I am ashamed of her and I want her to feel it. But I say nothing because she’s too far gone and my vocabulary isn’t enough. I let this old woman, who has never supported me anyway, go on her way and I hope she feels dirty. She’s the one who, I think, is beyond hope. So why does that hopelessness stay with me instead of following her?

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Numb, Dumbed, and Asleep

You’re silent while so much soul blinding, nerve numbing, intelligence dumbing is sweeping through unchecked. It’s a dark cloak in a sleeping orphanage. It’s a heavy, light-blocking spirit. Like a virus, it has gone through halls of your life, the corridors of your churches, and switched off every light in your classrooms. And the grief I’m feeling is that you’re still in there going through the motions like you didn’t notice the change.

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Let's Make A Sin Of It

A local pastor has said that those who do yoga are opening themselves up to the demonic power of Satan. He cites the origins of yoga and says that even if you don’t attribute the ancient religion to your downward dog, that it doesn’t matter. It’s enough to go through the motions and you should be afraid. I’m thinking, why stop at yoga? They celebrate Halloween. Why not take issue with that? Birthdays, birthday cakes, Christmas trees… the list doesn’t stop. If we go this route, we’re going to need to reestablish the sacrificial system of priests and lambs, and eventually we’re going to need a Savior.

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Getting It Mostly Wrong

I hear people convinced of their own version of God and not hear when they contradict themselves. I ask questions to probe their reasoning and their answers reduce God to be subservient of themselves. I listen and I wonder why they don't hear it. I wonder why they're the leaders at their church. I wonder how many people they've turned away. They write books, hold small groups, lead worship, but I don't recognize the god they talk about.

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