Affirmative prayer, affirmative action?

On my cell group retreat and annual review, I came across this intriguing, slightly disturbing, playful poem, by an American poet I had not heard of before, Kaylin Haught:

God says Yes to Me

I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
I asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is
I asked her if I could wear nail polish
or not wear nail polish
and she said honey
she calls me that sometimes
she said you can do just exactly
what you want to
Thanks God I said
And is it even okay if I don’t paragraph
my letters
Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

Not the whole story, of course... but I wonder what we make of the thought. There is a principle of “all God’s promises being yes and amen” that is not always central to the way we feel about God. Perhaps the point is in the relational dialogue between the poet and God, not the absolute rightness or wrongness of nail polish etc.?

A question to ponder as we in the monsastery review the year and look forward, anyway?

Caution: Men at Work

A great year at Alton. Common themes and contrasts arise from six very different ministries, pooled openly in a context of deep knowledge, mutual liking and great respect. Experience is captured, Perspectives shift, new angles emerge. Why don’t everyone do this?

This year’s Discursive Reflection has been particularly well aided and abetted by its location — the Best Pub in the World, the Sun at Bentworth. Mary keeps good beer and runs a fine house of Discursive Reflection. (Obscure Note to self: Pickled Partridge especially good starter)

Australia, of course, being down under, poses particular challenges for discursive reflection, as witness this gem from less-well-known-than-he ought-to-be-in-England comic Shaun Micallef: