Dear brothers and sisters of Epiphany-

We are more fully into autumn now, and our body clocks are adjusting, a process more biologically ingrained that we may realize. Shorter days, even though the work continues at the same rate, or faster. Longer nights, even though we don’t take advantage of that fact to catch up on lost sleep.

It might well be a good thing for us to step away from the usual goal-oriented intense rush we experience here in the shadow of the Nation’s Capitol. As more of us return to in-office work, the old habits of working later than is wise – productivity decreases if we continue to work beyond a reasonable pace – are coming back into our lives. 

Resist that.

As I write this, I am up at Shrine Mont at a clergy gathering. Yes, we’re talking about our common work and new ideas and best practices. But we are also stopping the normal endless list of meetings, projects, numbers, and so on, to have longer, more meaningful conversations about our vocations. We are enjoying laughter, albeit the socially distanced variety. We are catching up on what people are doing with their families and with their lives. It’s a chance to do a kind of work, but also to catch our breaths a bit before leaping back into the fray.

On Monday I exchanged emails with a priest friend who pastors the church where General Colin Powell has been a member for years. I had heard the news of General Powell’s death, and I knew that it would place additional complex burdens on my friend. I wrote a note saying “I know this will be an extraordinary time in the life of your parish and in your workload. Please know I will be praying, and if I can be of assistance in any way beyond that, let me know.” His response was gratitude, along with the words “I probably won’t make it up to Shrine Mont for the Clergy Gathering.”
In that moment, my heart broke for him a little, because if anyone could use a little mountain air, it is this friend. If anyone could use a chance to refill his soul with that energy we get from a little time away, it is this friend.

So do we all.

What would it take for us to give ourselves permission to stop and breathe? What would it take for us to give ourselves a little grace to restore ourselves? What would it take for us to be present to the shift in the seasons and respond by making our nights a little more restful and our workdays a little less hectic?

God created the world with this kind of ebb and flow of activity and light for a reason. God gives us permission to live into that. Breathe, even if it isn’t the mountain air up at Shrine Mont. Be aware of the colors of the leaves, the beauty of the evening sky, the stars. Be thankful. And let us put down whatever busywork is consuming us for a few minutes and rest. Rest is a gift of the Creator, so why should we run from it?

Be sure to join us tonight on ZOOM at 7 PM for Part 3 of our Adult Learning series titled A Season of Lament: Processing Grief and Loss through the Psalms. You can jump right in from wherever you are, even if you did not attend Part 1 or Part 2. All are welcome!

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Mary+