Summer Days: A Companion to Mary Oliver’s “Devotionals” by Salt Project
At its best, summer is a season of rest and joy – tapping into the ancient, sacred practice of sabbath restoration. Mary Oliver can help us reconnect with this dimension of summertime, savoring what she calls its “luminous sprawl of gifts.”
This devotional is designed to be flexible: use it as an individual practice of companionship with Oliver’s Devotions; or in partnership with family or friends; or with a small study group. Spread it out over four weeks, four days, or a holiday weekend.
At each of the four steps, you’ll find a gentle rhythm to guide you: the lighting of a candle, a passage from Scripture to pair with poems in Oliver’s Devotions, a short prayer, and a song or two. Each step also includes a bouquet of “daily practices” to try, activities to help deepen your experience of the poems, the biblical passages, and the wider world they call us to love.
So grab your favorite Bible and Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (the poems can also be found at the links below). Step by step, we’ll make our way deep into the heart of summer, the heart of sabbath, and the heart of being human: joyful, rested, and free.
Pick up a printed copy of this resource at church, or request one by calling 440-526-8938. A digital version is also available by request! (Or you can find the link in our weekly newsletter in June.)
Poems featured:
- The Summer Day
- On Thy Wondrous Works I Will Meditate (Psalm 145)
- One Hundred White-Sided Dolphins on a Summer Day
- Six Recognitions of the Lord
- and more…