Open Secrets: Poetry of Nature and Grace
Ebook
The poems in this delightful book, Open Secrets, focus on how we can discover spiritual truth from nature, the world around us and the creative arts. The first section, Nature and Grace, draws together insights from the natural world alongside poems inspired by gospel encounters where people find light and love through Jesus. The Deer's Cry, following St Patrick's Prayer, has poems that cry out for the protection of the natural environment, as well as for people who suffer in areas of conflict. The third section, The Artist, looks at how works of art can reflect the beauty and goodness of God our creator.
The poetry is followed by a short essay that explores the meaning of open secrets in relation to the gospel, nature, and poetry. The whole book points to the importance of attuning our hearts to hearing the voice of God in Christ, full of grace and compassion for all people and for all of his creation, and ever-present by his Spirit in the world.
“This is a remarkable collection of poems: experiences, memories, world-shattering events, Bible stories all come together to give us an epiphany of the grace of God. Pamela Ferguson has the ability to notice the ordinary things and to reveal them in a layered way with extraordinary power and insight. And the prose which supports them gives a spiritual undergirding which leaves us hungering for a deeper knowledge of God.”
—Harold Miller, former bishop of Down and Dromore
“Crafted to reveal the hidden, pulsating heart of creation and new creation, this collection sings with beauty, understanding, sensitivity, and above all, profound spiritual truth.”
—Lynda Neilands, author of 50 Five-Minute Stories
“amela Ferguson observes the world around us perceptively and reflects carefully. She takes different dark situations and ushers in bright shafts of light. It is the heart of a woman who, in the twenty-first century, is listening to God and finding his loving presence in the midst of darkness and pain. This confidence shines through Pam’s writing and comes straight from her heart to mine. I am delighted to commend this beautiful poetry.”
—Stephen G. Critchlow, author of Mindful of the Light: Practical Help and Spiritual Hope for Mental Health
‘‘This marvelous collection of poems explores nature, the arts, biblical narratives, and personal experience to uncover hidden grace-filled depths. This is a book to read and re-read because these captivating poems keep on giving.’’
—Joy H. Alexander, former lecturer of English and education
“This is a book I’ll have by my bedside to lift up and be uplifted, taking me to that still center where God dwells. Pamela Ferguson has masterfully crafted these words to draw us into the ‘open secrets’ present all around us and in the Word who is God, and in the beauty and goodness which comes through creation and all the events of our daily life.”
—Irene Jovaras, member of the Focolare Movement
- Title: Open Secrets: Poetry of Nature and Grace
- Author: Pamela Ferguson
- Publisher: Resource Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9798385203222, 9798385203208, 9798385203215
- Resource ID: LLS:9798385203222
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-12-05T22:25:17Z
Pamela Ferguson grew up in a mission family in Nigeria and then moved to Ireland. She became a teacher of English and religious education, married Jim, and together they taught in Christian universities in Indonesia and Japan. Later they taught in Belfast, and now live in Bangor, a small city with a rich Celtic heritage where they have a special connection with international families. Pamela is author of From Shore to Shore: Life in God’s Global Kingdom: Reflections in Poetry and Prose (2020).