02/07/2024 0 Comments
From the Vicar: There is Space, There is Room
From the Vicar: There is Space, There is Room
# From The... - Letters to the Congregation
From the Vicar: There is Space, There is Room
Dear One’s of St. C’s,
This Advent we are exploring the theme, “on earth as it is in heaven,” where we will spend time anticipating and imagining a world where Christ reigns and earth and heaven come together. We will search for these thin places, which is a theological concept in Celtic Spirituality. Thin places are places where the veil between heaven and earth are thin and we experience glimpses of eternal life with God on earth.
An important and challenging spiritual practice during Advent is to slow down. For me, this sounds both amazing and impossible. During Advent I have a mantra I say to myself, “there is space, there is room.” I take time to declutter my life before the Christmas decorations start to come out. I take deep breathes and drink tea in silence, which is my favorite thin place to connect with God. When ever I feel overwhelmed, like I am running from one thing to the next, I pause, and I say out loud, “there is space, there is room.”
During Advent we anticipate the coming of Jesus at Christmas, in the future, and right now in this moment. As Episcopalians we believe this anticipation of Christ coming to earth causes us to need to slow down.
I wonder what that would like for you in Advent? Advent is usually my favorite time to offer adult formation and our Advent Quiet Day, but this fall felt like it went so fast. We did so many fun and beautiful things together as a community and I am feeling a desire to tell you all - there is space, there is room and to just do less this Advent. My prayer for this community for Advent is that we can experience this space and this room together during our Sunday morning worship.
There won’t be adult formation offerings this Advent, but I wonder how you could use that time to find some room to pause, take a breath, and connect with God. If you have kids, you can always drop kids off early at church (childcare is available starting at 8:30am). This is your invitation not to add something else to your calendar, but to find your thin space, wherever you are, however you are. May the blessing of God Almighty be upon you, in the name of the creator, redeemer, and sustainer, who are among you and remain with you always. Amen.
with care,
Meghan
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