Article by Mary Bea Sullivan
We all “know” we need rest. Many of us struggle with giving ourselves restorative time. And yet, how often have we found ourselves declining in “productivity” as we continue to push on through a project … or during a busy day?
Culturally, we have erased the line between “work” and “play.” Many of us feel we need to keep working, keep volunteering, keep whatevering, until we are depleted, empty shells of ourselves.
Wayne Muller reminds us in his compelling book, Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest, “Sabbath honors the necessary wisdom of dormancy … a period in which we lie fallow, and restore our souls.”
A few years ago a wonderful friend told me that she tries to give herself one day off each week … a day when she doesn’t answer the phone unless she wants to; reads if she feels like it, naps if that appeals to her; watches a movie if that is what calls her. This friend is one of the most spiritually connected people I know.
And I have to wonder if there is a correlation between her practice of rest and her connection to the Divine?
Of course the thought of taking a day off is different for someone who has young children at home, or caring for an elderly parent. Yet this soul restoration project is particularly important for caregivers. Read More »
Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
Living in a way that makes the world a better place is a desire that beats inside everyone at some time in our lives. The compassion of Jesus makes it possible for us to be change agents for good … a gospel kind of goodness.
Jesus’ compassion is a profoundly simple source. He loves us. He wants the best for us. He wants us to want the best and to do the best for other people. Jesus makes this best possible by loving us in a way that we can also love each other. Through this love we are bonded together. Read More »
“Cultivating peace in our hearts requires awareness of wherein the heart lies.”
Article by Mary Bea Sullivan
Unity Center for Peace in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ends each service with congregants reaching across the aisles to hold hands as one large, winding, human chain belting out, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be … ” Years ago when I attended these services, singing this song was the highlight, a culmination of community grounded in personal responsibility for creating peace.
Recently I was visiting Park City, Utah, and attended a service at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The service ended in much the same way … joyful voices joined, raised high with the intention to be a peaceful presence. The universal message ringing true for two very different congregations on opposite ends of the country.
Like many moments in the pews, we can choose to leave the meaning in the building, or, we can choose to carry the meaning out into the world.
So, how can we cultivate a sense of peace? There is so much to this question! My focus today is … our awareness of the moment when we become reactionary. Read More »
Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
The willingness to help, to make a good difference in our world, is particularly a great capability God gives all of us. But like all gifts it must be known and used if it is to be enjoyed.
The willingness to help opens up the right opportunities to help. Which is the truth behind this anonymous quote: “Once upon a time there were four people - Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, and Anybody. Whenever help was needed Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. But in the end Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place.”
Deborah, the prophet, was a somebody who helped anybody overcome the sense of being a nobody so that everybody could live a better life. She helps us to see how we can successfully know this joy in our lives by our accepting and using our gifts to help people.
Deborah lived in troubled times. We know about living in troubled times. The troubles of her times were caused by everybody in her country “doing as they saw fit in their own eyes.”
We can imagine the troubles this level of collective selfishness caused in her times. We know the pain of when the same happens in our times. Regardless if what they did pleased God or hurt others, most people did as they saw fit (Judges 4:1). Consequently, and our decisions always produces consequences, life was getting worse at an alarming rate.
What to do? Read More »
Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
Reconciliation is a ministry of hope. When what once was together has been broken apart, we ask, “Can it ever be brought together again?”
The Apostle Paul was captivated by the hope for a new humanity through individuals being reconciled with God through Christ; people made new in Christ to carry forward the ministry to others by being ambassadors of reconciliation.
Such was the case when an unthinkable tragedy occurred in the fall of 2006 as five school girls were murdered in the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Later that year, Beliefnet, the nation’s leading religious and spirituality website, chose the people of that community as the most inspiring person/s of 2006.
Why? Because, as Beliefnet’s CEO said, “The first thing they did was bring food and comfort to the family of the killer. Second, one of the little girls reportedly offered to be shot first, hoping to save other lives … They were living their faith and exhibiting values we all wish we could live up to - personal commitment to forgiveness.” Forgiveness - the seemingly impossible - had been shown to be possible. Read More »
