Slow Down!

This is probably not the first thing you expected to hear from your new Priest-in-Charge. An unusual amount of activity going on at Trinity for a parish in the height of summer. The energy and excitement here are palpable, and it’s great! I suppose there is something invigorating about that “new priest smell” that’s got everybody buzzing, and I can’t deny that I love it. I would not now or ever want to dampen that spirit. So if you are engaged in a ministry, or have an idea for a ministry, don’t stop!

I do, however, want to ask us to slow down. I want us all to take the divine commandment to rest, to breathe, and to pray seriously. This is a what Church is for: to remind us what our source of life is, to refresh our spirits, and so to reignite our passion this community’s work in the world. I will talk more about this in my sermon this week, but I’d like us to start practicing together this Sunday. Have you noticed how fast we pray? What would happen if we slowed down?

This week I urge us all to brave the discomfort of pauses, silences, and slower pacing. You may find the discipline of slowing down to be frustrating or disquieting at first, but there is so much to be gained by it. We have a beautiful liturgy. Let’s give it time not only to reach the realms of the Divine, but also to soak into our own bodies and minds. Let our prayers be not only an offering to God, but also a vehicle for God to change us.

In peace,