This Week from Mitch
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
How did the first full week of Lent treat you? I was grateful to be able to take some time yesterday to teach a parishioner about walking the labyrinth. Walking the labyrinth is a spiritual practice that I personally love. I love it because I am easily distracted, so the movement of the walk and the focus on my breathing lets my brain do multiple things at once, which makes it easier to find my center. When I walk the labyrinth, I think about three things.
First, as I enter the labyrinth and slowly make my way to the center, I pray to God, asking God to free me from the worries of the world. I focus on being centered in God's love. When I get distracted, I pause until I can focus again. Walking the labyrinth is not a race.
Second, when I reach the middle, I pause. While standing in the middle, I focus on my breathing. Yesterday, in the sun, I also focused on the feeling of heat on my face. In the middle, I center myself in gratitude for any blessings I have felt.
Finally, as I leave the labyrinth, I pray for God's strength, love, and support as I enter back into the world. Then, when I exit, I go about my day. The whole process takes me 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how fast I go.
Gordon Thomas has done a great job cleaning up our labyrinth, which is located just outside of our Parish Hall. It's really a wonderful resource, particularly when the weather is nice, for centering prayer. I invite everyone to use it.
Spiritual practices may feel funny at first. Like my first swimming strokes a week ago, they can feel awkward, clunky, and silly, but over time they become more natural. This Lent, if it has been a long time since you have taken on a spiritual practice, I encourage you to try one out. It's a form of self-care that we often neglect. I believe that trinities exist all around us. One of the most important, after Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is trying to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. This Lent, I invite you to join me in putting effort into each.
In Christ,
Mitch