Reflections by Rev. Joanne Anquist
September is such a busy month! I used to think that when my children were grown, September would be a breeze! But alas, Churchland is just like school and September brings all the hustle and bustle of a back to school season!
September, more than January, is my start of the year. It’s the time I evaluate what I want to accomplish in this season – what are my priorities, what do I want to start up again, and what should I release. I find I always want to add more and I have a lot more difficulty letting go.
I’m approaching this September through the lens of a trip to Iona Community in Scotland back in May and a work study tour of Guatemala in August. These were two very different experiences of “God With Us” which is the grounding metaphor for me and my ministry. My add-ons for this year spring for those experiences.
At Iona, the space was ancient and the liturgies went with the sense of place. It’s not that they weren’t contemporary, they expressed a progressive Christian theology, but they were simple and repetitive. The week I was there, as is every week, we had morning worship at 9 am – and evening worship at 9 pm. Those services set the rhythm for our days. I came away with the knowledge that simple, intentional rituals in our day can set the rhythm for our work. Taking a moment to reflect, or take a walk or meditate is not a luxury, it’s essential for opening ourselves to Spirit so we can prepare ourselves for what the day will bring. This September, I’m adding some kind of morning and evening ritual in my personal time so I can experience the rhythm of Spirit.
In Guatemala, I experienced a lot of cognitive dissonance! We stayed in nice hotels, with air conditioning and good food. We saw some of the tourist sites and enjoyed walking around Antigua and Panajachel. But we spent our days visiting organizations working amongst the very poor and people who were living day to day. At first, I felt like a voyeur intruding on their lives, engaging in a kind of “poverty tourism” which didn’t sit right with me. But then, as we discussed all we were going through as a group, I was reminded by our hosts, one who is Mayan, who live part time in Guatemala, that we should not feel sorry for these people – that there is so much joy to be seen and experienced.
This was really brought home to me when we visited Nan Maria. She was a long time friend of one of the guides. She lived in two adobe structures, one was a kitchen the other the rest of her living quarters. She couldn’t have stood even 5 feet. I can’t remember what we brought her, but she was more grateful for our visit than anything else. She insisted on praying a blessing over us all. I was so humbled by this tiny woman, living with poverty, praying for me. There is always joy to be found and this season I hope to incorporate more opportunities for awe and wonder and pure joy.
So what will you bring to this new year? What will you release in order to make space for what gives you life? How will you shift your perspective so that you can experience fullness of life? These are some questions to consider as you sign up for this exercise class, or attend that craft workshop, or join another book club! Mostly, keep your heart and minds open to Spirit and all that God has for you.
Here is prayer from the Iona Community to sit with as the business begins again!
Prayer of Awareness (J. Philip Newell),
Light within all light
Soul behind all souls
at the breaking of dawn
at the coming of day
we wait and watch.
Your Light within the morning light
Your Soul within the human soul
Your Presence beckoning to us from the heart of life.
In the dawning of this day
let us know fresh shinings in our soul.
In the growing colours of new beginning all around us
let us know the first lights of our heart.
Great Star of the morning
Inner flame of the universe
let us be a colour in this new dawning.