Spiritual Formation: Poetry in Practice
Submitted by a Spiritual Formation Participant
Go to the Limits of Your Longing
Written by Rainer Maria Rilke | Translated and read by Joanna Macy
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don’t let yourself lose me.Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.Give me your hand
"[This poem] reminds me that God is within me, and life is full of challenges. When we are aware of our inner power (call it God, Spirit, or Power) we can use it to guide us in the Darkness and in the Light." - Spiritual Formation Participant
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Consider joining Stony Run's Spiritual Formation program. We are offering an opportunity to try the program on Sunday, August 9 at 9:30 AM in the Double classroom, or you can join our first session at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. For more information or to share your interest, please contact David M. via the Office.
The Spiritual Formation program is an opportunity to practice that quiet awareness of Divine Light, both individually and together. Through monthly readings, and worship sharing in small and large groups, participants share their individual spiritual journeys and nurture spiritual friendships. Stony Run’s Spiritual Formation Gatherings run from September through May on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 7-8:30 PM. Also, participants meet monthly in small groups, organized to offer availability to people with a wide range of schedules. Baltimore Yearly Meeting offers Spiritual retreats in September and again in May.