What are you grateful for?
In times like these, I find it imperative to take time each day to give thanks for the blessings that I have. We can take things for granted, and focus so heavily on all that has been lost. Grief is important, and we make space for all emotions to flow freely, especially in our houses of worship. Sharing from the heart is a necessary part of supporting community. That is why we make space for sharing our joys and concerns each time we gather together as a church family.
Balance is the key. Sharing *both* our joys and our concerns when we pray allows us to be well-rounded, and to share in our common humanity.
When we do not know how to pray, we know that: "the Spirit intercedes for us with groans too deep for words." (Rom. 8:25)
Whether our prayers include incredible joy or deep grief, or some other strong emotion, sometimes these experiences are un-languageable. We can certainly trust the Holy Spirit to reach into our hearts and to help us unpack what is there, especially if the emotion has become stuck, and has caused dis-ease within our bodies or spirits, for this stuckness has the tendency to interrupt our thought patterns and to impact our social interactions in a harmful way. So, sharing (when we have the language) and opening to the movements of the Holy Spirit (when we don't have the words) is very important!
Today, I am grateful for this gift -- for the Sacred Presence that carries the ineffable, and is both willing and able to carry our deepest emotional experiences directly into the Heart of our Creator.
As we move through the month of October, I encourage you all to join me in keeping a gratitude journal. What is opening up in your spirit? What are you thankful for today?
We are giving out physical copies of our gratitude journal each week during worship. Each printed packet holds a week's worth of writing prompts with Scriptures of gratitude and an opportunity to consider how we can impact the lives of those around us for good as we are inspired by our gratitude towards nurturing the community and creation care. I invite you to join me in a daily reflection of your gratitude.
If you would like a copy of this week's gratitude journal in electronic form that you can download and either fill out on your computer or print at home, please send us a message with your email address so we can send you a PDF of Gratitude Journal - Week 1.
Blessings upon your reflections this week! Feel free to send us a message using the contact form here on our website, or by calling the church office. We welcome your reflections of love and gratitude!
In gratitude and divine service,
~ Pastor T ~