Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Paying Attention in Each Moment

Winter is slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) giving way to spring. The cycle of the seasons reminds us that the dark and cold will not not last forever. Warmer, brighter days do eventually come again. But the seasons also remind us that even the darker, colder days are a part of the cycle. As we move from Lent into Easter the same lesson is there for us to experience. One of the great gifts of the cycle of liturgical seasons is the way they flow into each other. It takes all of them together to experience the fullness of a year. So I invite you to resist the temptation of wanting to skip over or push quickly past the darker, colder seasons of your life. To do so is to risk missing the blessings which are waiting for you there. God is present in the winter months as fully as in the summer ones, as completely in Lent as in Easter, as profoundly in times of sorrow and grief as in those of joy and laughter. When we learn to slow down and spend time in the “what is” of each moment, rather than always looking ahead to the “what might be” of some future moment, we come to experience the fullness of God’s presence (and thus also God’s abundant blessings). Pay attention to each moment – each breath – each step along the way. I am convinced that it is there you will discover the deep richness of life. Enjoy the journey.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)