From The Pastor - June Spire

"Taking A Breath"

As I sit down to write this, it is late May and Renee and I have been with you for almost one year. During this time, on a personal level you have opened your hearts and welcomed us in. We thank you for that.  We have enjoyed the opportunities we have had to visit and get to know you.

As you sit down to read this, the last two events in this our first program year together, Confirmation and Children's Sunday will have been celebrated and we will have completed a program cycle. For all of us, it has been a year of change and transition as we have learned to work together blending different traditions, ideas and ministry emphasis. I have encouraged us to try new things and time and again many have been very gracious and appreciative of the changes. In some instances, you have let me know what you have not liked or would prefer not to continue. I do recognize that this year has been more difficult for some than for others. At the same time I believe we have come through it together as a community of faith who continue to find new ways to serve God.

As we end this program year and look forward to summer with its slower pace, my hope is all of us will find a way to "take a breath". Taking a breath is important for many reasons. Most have to do with the busyness of life, the constant flurry of activities and commitments that fill our schedules. We all need a time of respite.  Actually, what we all need is to build  places to "take a breath" into our daily routines, that we might strike a better balance between doing and being. I know I try to plan for some down time in my schedule. I also know that when things come up this down time is the first thing to be dropped as that stack of books and periodicals grows ever larger and those promises of time spent with friends never seem to be honored. I am not proud of this, but I know myself and I know my patterns; so in many ways I am writing to myself as much as I am to you.  We all need to "take a breath."

Taking a breath for me involves feeding one's soul. It means discovering those activities, events and relationships that replenish you and then honoring them by seeing them as the sacred opportunities they are. Taking a breath also means taking the time to reflect and evaluate what we do, how we spend our time and resources remembering that the way we spend our time and resources tells others what we value. Taking a breath is about self-care as we recreate in a way that allows us to re-create.

Most of us equate taking a breath with summer and taking time off from our responsibilities and commitments. Sadly, too often for too many this translates into filling our schedules with other things which really do not help us re-create. For too many it also means taking the summer off from Church and worship because it doesn't fit our schedule. I fear that doing this will not help us take a breath in the sense of allowing God's spirit to fill and renew us.

My hope is that many who are tempted to take the summer off will instead discover our 8 a.m. service. The appeal of this 30 minute service is the opportunity it provides for taking a breath and centering ourselves in prayer and reflection. I know well the argument that we can do this anytime, anyplace. I also know that most of us don't. If we don't schedule it, we don't do it.

Enjoy your summer and by all means stop by on Sundays so that we may visit with one another and God.

Peace,
Eric