​Written by Kat Goheen
Canada West Mission Centre Co-President
kat@communityofchrist.ca

​I was so blessed to spend the weekend at Hills of Peace for the Spiritual Retreat three weeks ago. The lake, the hills, the food, the poplar trees all whispered peace to me. Two of us were there for the first time, and the campground seemed happy for our group presence after almost three years of no camps there.

We gathered from three provinces and shared deeply about our response to God’s movement in our lives, guided by the stories of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus in the New Testament. Everyone was full of insights from their lives and from the texts. I am amazed by how much growth we saw in those biblical figures within a few short paragraphs, and how we were able to identify those rhythms and movements of Spirit in our own lives. I saw myself in each of our biblical friends and was able to touch into some places within that can still use love and healing. It was brave of us to go through grief and resurrection together and I am so happy that we practiced leaning on the heart of God in community.

May our service be blessed with spaciousness. May our contemplation lead us to action. May we always willingly receive the gift of new life!

Last week in the column we looked at membership and belonging. Today we’ll flip that coin and look within. Our humanity is hardwired for connection and at the same time tuned for meaning. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? What is a good life?

We all grow older, if we’re lucky, but we don’t necessarily grow up. It’s the time we spend in study, self-reflection, prayer, and meditation that feeds our inner life and helps us transition from milk to solid food, as Paul says in I Corinthians 3. We have many ways to distract ourselves from real, burning-bush experiences with God, and our intellect is one of the big ones!

At the Spiritual Retreat at Hills of Peace (June 24-26), we will be opening ourselves to spiritual growth in a safe container at a beautiful campground. We will examine the stories of Mary, Martha, Jesus, and Lazarus for those moments of spiritual connection that show us ways to grow. We will use all of our senses to experience and appreciate the Holy. We will slip behind our figuring-out minds and listen to our hearts and bodies; to the still, small voice that longs to be one with us.

As you clear your vision about where you belong and who you long to be, make room in your heart for the One who knows you best! ​

​I’m reading about holding environments right now – the idea that what we experience when we’re young influences our experience of trust as we grow. If we find what we need often enough as a youngster, we believe that the universe is benign and helpful. If we don’t, then we try to create a different reality and turn away from what surrounds us. I don’t know what it means about me, but I do tinker a lot! I’m always imagining how things could be better. Perhaps it’s part of growing up around the idea of Zion – God’s kin-dom here on earth.
 
On Sunday, we meditated on Psalm 139, with those familiar words: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.” As I settled into silence, I realized that this scripture is all about a present holding environment, in that God knows me intimately, knows everywhere I could possibly go and everything I could do. No matter what, God is present.
 
This brings an image to mind: you and I are floating on a salty body of water (like the Dead Sea or a float tank) that will effortlessly support our bodies, letting us lay back and relax. Yet we thrash about with our arms and legs, trying to stay vertical, refusing to let go and rest. Here is some wisdom from our church administrator’s handbook that can remind us to follow the rhythm of our lives and participate in life around us rather than managing it all!
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BRINGING BALANCE TO LIFE

All life needs a rhythm of rest. There is a rhythm in our waking and the body’s need for sleep. There is a rhythm in the way day dissolves into night and night into morning. There is a rhythm as the active growth of spring and summer is quieted by the necessary dormancy of fall and winter. There is a tidal rhythm, a deep, eternal conversation between the land and the great sea. In our bodies, the heart perceptibly rests after each life-giving beat. The lungs rest between breathing out and inhaling. We have lost this essential rhythm. Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment are better than rest, that doing something—anything—is better than doing nothing. Because of our wish to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go. We bypass the nourishment that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by the hypnotic belief that good comes only through unceasing, determination and tireless effort, we can never rest. And because we need rest, our lives are in danger.
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Sabbath is a gift of God to remind us and give us permission to rest, to bring balance into our lives. Even our dedication to the service of others as ministers, when not balanced with healthy living, can lead to suffering in ourselves, our families, and in the ones we are trying to serve. Even God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). We rest to bring balance to our lives, to see the goodness that God has placed in all creation.  

Community of Christ Church Administrator's Handbook

​I love stories like Narnia where there’s a magical, fantastic world that touches ours! This happens in our world too: it’s called thin places, where everything feels holy and you feel more like yourself than you ever have before. In a thin place we experience a reality that extends beyond what we can see or touch – the reality that we are surrounded by the movement of Spirit and the love of God. Thin places may be called Lummi Island or Samish Island (or Jasper National Park or Hills of Peace!). These are places that call to our soul, where we long to be.

Baptism is a thin place too. We place ourselves in the water, allow ourselves to be immersed, and encounter God in a new way. God doesn’t love us more after baptism because that’s impossible! God already loves us 120%. We do become partners with God in a new way, though, finding consolation in one another and spending time together.
 
So while I may never talk with Aslan, I can continue to treat this life like a sacred pilgrimage. I can look to the sacraments for those moments of union with the divine that grow my soul. I can spend time with my beloved creator and learn how to participate in life fully rather than sleepwalking through it. I can be invested in the lives of those around me, seeing God’s presence and fingerprints in each one. Where is your thin place? How will you dwell with God? Let the still, small voice call you into a new corner of your world, where something fantastic is waiting to be revealed!
 
*Adapted from the Vancouver congregation’s baptism service
May 8, 2022