As we move into this holiday season, I am grateful to have the ministry theme of “stillness” as our guide. There is so much swirling around — the pandemic and the toll it has taken, racial injustice and the continuous ways it manifests in our communities, widespread economic stress and uncertainty, and the day to day challenges we each face. It can feel like a lot. And yet, there is also stillness. The simple gift of stillness waiting for us to notice where it shows up. For me, the gifts found in stillness can be like the balm for our souls Rev. Linda mentioned in Community Worship last month.
How might stillness be a balm for you and your spirit this holiday season? Which gifts of stillness are calling to you? Perhaps it is in noticing the songs of the birds at dawn or dusk… or the pausing to notice the sliver of the moon in the winter night sky… or the seeing the twinkling holiday lights in your own or a neighbor’s yard. Maybe it is at the end of your day when feel yourself relax as you lay your head down on your pillow and prepare for rest. Sometimes, it is the smallest things that deeply nourish us if we let them.
One of my favorite times of the day is the early morning when I sit in stillness and quiet with my cup of coffee. I look forward with great anticipation to this daily ritual! The aroma of the coffee, the warm cup in my hands, the delicious first sip as I watch the night sky shift to the pink of dawn… ahhhh! Such gifts! And if I am feeling really spiffy, I pull out a book of poetry and indulge my spirit by reading a poem. Do you have a time in your day that has space for stillness? Where does stillness show up in your life? Are there times or places where you could invite more stillness or savor the gifts of stillness just waiting to be discovered?
As we move towards the longest night of the year, I hope you will be able to find some time to enjoy the gift of stillness. It just might help you discover what is waiting to be born in you in the coming year.
In faith and with love,
Rev. Leia