A Spiritual Journey Thursday offering for April.
Karen Eastlund beckons fellow SJT writers with the phrase “I bind unto myself today…”
It’s the beginning of many prayers compiled by the Northumbria Community in Celtic Daily Prayers. The phrase is also attributed to the Hymn of St. Patrick (see Cantica Sacra). Thank you, Karen, for the inspiration and blessing.
What prayer might I make, what claim might I stake, on these five words? What do I need to bind unto myself today, any day, every day? What do I hold most dear? What holds me?
It comes to me via pieces of Scripture—John 1:1-4, 6:63; Hebrews 12:2.
A pantoum:
I bind unto myself today
love of words
the Word, in the beginning
the Creator of all things
Love of words
I bind unto myself today
the Creator of all things
speaking life
I bind unto myself today
the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us
speaking life
the Author and Finisher of my faith
The Word made flesh, who dwelt among us
the Word, in the beginning
the Author and Finisher of my faith
I bind unto myself today
lit bits and pieces 
Such an apt word for focus: “bind”—its tightness, closeness, and approach to oneness. This approach to the Creator, to the Word made flesh is so fitting for the season. As always, your writing is inspiring.
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“Approach to oneness” – magnificent interpretation. Thank you so much for your insightfulness and your gracious words.
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Fran, thank you for this beautiful pantoum. The Word, so sacred to us, so powerful, and so beloved to those of us who write. Thank you for this offering after a challenging prompt. Many blessings…
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Thank you for picking such a lovely focus for SJT (on Wednesday, lol!), Karen. The Celtic prayer you shared was so beautiful – I may need the book.
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Fran, I love so much this carefully chosen snippets of truth from God’s Word. A pantoum seems a perfect form for the “I Bind Unto Myself” poem. I love that those words begin and end the poem.
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When I started to write “I bind unto myself today,” I felt the rhythmic flow that comes with a pantoum. Then came all those word/Word related verses – it kind of wrote itself. Thank you, Denise.
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Fran, I just read that your poem wrote itself but in truth, the poem was inspired by the Lord, the Author and Finisher of your faith and ours. He is the Creator and Speaker of Life and all things possible. Your pantoum is the right medium for this poem of faith. I hold it dear to my heart since I must believe with my whole heart that my surgery eye will heal and my next surgery will be successful. Thank you for lifting me in prayer. our community is a gift from God.
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Thank you for this beautiful reflection, Carol. You’re right about my inspiration coming from the Lord. There are so many more verses about His Word and it being written on on our hearts… indeed, this is something to “bind ourselves unto” each day. Blessings and continued prayers for healing, dear friend. Thank you for the gift of your words and your heart of faith.
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Oh, Fran, the pantoum seems a perfect form for your musings. I love the way you wove scripture into the lines of the poem.
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Those verses were swirling in my head, Ramona… the circular flow of the pantoum seemed right.
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Oh, my goodness. Fran, this pantoum is beautiful. I hope you share it in printed form with your local faith family. What a thoughtful way of describing binding…it reminds me of vows. Just beautiful. And, it helps me remember that love began, begins, will begin with the Word. So much to love here. Thank you for your words.
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I am spellbound by the lyrical rhythm of this poem, reading much like a song, a hymn, I think. The repetition of “I bind unto myself today” is deeply moving, reminding I think of the importance of daily prayerful intention.
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Thank you for these lovely words, Maureen. I wanted to keep going about “binding unto myself” the promises of God, but I ran out of steam, the pantoum being one of such precision with line flow… I hope the implication comes through, at least.
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I have to agree with the others–the pantoum form is the perfect vehicle for your response to the prompt, Fran. And it’s no surprise to me that you were drawn to “words”, the Word, as that is your talent, your creative channel, reflecting Creation. Such a beautiful circle!
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I finally wrote mine, and now I’m going around to read everyone else’s. Yours is wonderful — thank you for it! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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