Receiving the Gift

Receiving the Gift

Christmas Day

Reflection By Robbin, Jan, and Scott

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given.
- Phillips Brooks, O Little Town of Bethlehem

This past week we have been reflecting on the wisdom found in the song Simple Gifts. And today, we celebrate the most precious gift of all, the gift of God becoming incarnate in the birth of Jesus.

May we discover a deep desire in heart, soul, strength, and mind to make room in the inn of our lives to receive the gift of God’s love made manifest in Jesus, a gift beyond measure. May we seek balance by having the courage to live a simpler, less distracted life. May we seek God’s blessing and guidance so that what we choose to let go of and what we choose to hold onto reflects and honors the life God has invited us to fully and freely live. May we know joy in the depths of our being and a peace that overflows the banks of our minds and hearts. And may we lean on and into our faith more intentionally, trusting it will lead us toward a life of sacred, authentic simplicity and love. May we come to know and trust that when we delight in God’s gifts, we delight God.

And now, having once again received the gift of Jesus’ very presence in our lives, completely and with no reservations, may we share it generously with others.

It has been an honor and a gift for us to walk this journey through Advent to Christmas with you.

We wish you a holy Christmas filled with simplicity, balance, peace, joy, and love.

Holy Simplicity

Holy Simplicity

Simplicity and Faith

Reflection By Jan Kwiatkowski

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
- Joseph Brackett, Simple Gifts

I was a church musician for seventeen years. For several of those years, the choir director and I worked simultaneously at two churches. On Sundays Bill would leave after communion at church A, drive to church B, while I directed the choir anthem, played the final hymn, and then headed to church B. Bill started the service at church B, and I arrived by the first reading, just in time to play the rest of the service. During Christmas and Easter, this arrangement got complicated. One very snowy Christmas Eve, our trips to church B were slower than either of us planned on. We almost hit each other at an intersection. True story.

Bill contacted the priest to let him know we would not be there in time to start the service. The priest had musical ability and was able to lead hymns without instrumental accompaniment. By the time we arrived at church B, hand-held candles illuminated the church and it was time to sing Silent Night. Following the quiet instrumental introduction voices began to sing. Time seemed to stop.

This familiar hymn, recalling images of tenderness, love, pure light, and peace, reminded Bill and me that our earnest Christmas preparations were small compared to the profoundly simple gift of God’s perfect love.

Making It Personal: Which lyrics of Silent Night speak to you at this moment? How has your understanding of simplicity evolved since the first Sunday of Advent? If things don’t go as planned for you today or tomorrow, how might you remain open to the unexpected ways in which God can still show up?

Sacred Dance of Faith

Sacred Dance of Faith

Simplicity and Faith

Reflection By Robbin Brent

To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.
- Joseph Brackett, Simple Gifts

The Shakers believed that dancing brought them closer to God. This song was written for dancing as a celebration of their faith and love of God through joyful movement in community.

In dancing, we often have a partner. I imagine God being our partner for this sacred dance of life. When I can trust and let go and follow, I always feel I’m in the right place in the life God has invited me to live. So, how can we know? “Turning with delight” describes the movement we’ll experience along the way, and how we will know that we are headed toward our own true north, the place where our desires join God’s desires for us.

When I’m trying to discern what next step (turning) I need to take in any situation, my wise spiritual Guide encourages me to simply ask, “Does this draw me toward God, or away from God?” I could also add, “Toward balance or away from balance? Toward simplicity or away from simplicity? Toward letting go of what gets in the way of my love of God, or away? Toward joy or away from joy? Toward a deeper faith or away from my faith?”

One of the ways I know that my desires and God’s desires for me are in alignment is the sense of peace and calm that I feel, an ease I experience in my body. If this resonates with you, perhaps you might pay attention this coming week to how you are feeling in your body when you are choosing what to do next in your day. Do you feel a sense of calm? Of ease, of a just-rightness? Or do you feel off balance, uncomfortable, out of sorts? Pay attention and allow your body to help guide you, one right choice at a time, toward a life of greater simplicity, more balance, more joy, more calm, more ease.

Making it Personal: How do you know you are “coming ’round right”? How might you intentionally call on your faith and the wisdom of your body to help guide your next steps?

Bowing and Bending

Bowing and Bending

Simplicity and Faith

Reflection By Scott Stoner

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed.
- Joseph Brackett, Simple Gifts

These next lines from Simple Gifts remind us that one manifestation of simplicity is: “to bow and bend we will not be ashamed.”

In the Christian tradition, as in other religious faiths, bowing is a sign of reverence, respect, and love. One recent manifestation of this came to light during the pandemic within the worship services of many churches. In churches that exchange a sign of the “Peace of Christ” with one another, people would share the peace by bowing to one another rather than by shaking hands as they usually would.

When I think of bending, I think of being flexible. When I am grounded in the simplicity of God’s love, I know that I am much more flexible, willing, and open to listen to others, reconsider my position, and even change if needed. In fact, one of the ways I know I am not grounded in God’s love is that I become rigid and inflexible. In such a state, I can rarely bow or bend to others, or even to God.

I also want to call attention to the final words of this section from Simple Gifts, the words “will not be ashamed.” The essential point of these words is that as an expression of my faith, I bow and bend in a spirit of love, reverence, and respect, not from a place of shame or guilt. When I am grounded in God’s love, I want to, and freely choose to, offer the gift of bowing and bending to others.

Making It Personal: Plans don’t often go as expected during the holidays, so how might you have the opportunity to bend and be flexible right now? What difference do you see in offering the gift of bowing and bending because you choose to, rather than from a place of feeling like you have to?

Faith as Our Compass

Faith as Our Compass

Simplicity and Faith

Reflection By Robbin Brent

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
’Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
- Joseph Brackett, Simple Gifts

Faith and simplicity, our focus for this week, are both powerful resources for the journey to the valley of love and delight. Prominent Quaker Rufus Jones wrote, “Faith is an inward attitude based on first-hand experience. It is an active powerful thing, a deliberate confidence in the grace of God which makes a man joyous and intrepid.”

As we grow our confidence in the grace of God, at first we may have more questions than answers. How do we partner with God in order to journey to the “valley of love and delight”? How do we cultivate a practice of love and delight, which is how we will know we are in the place just right? Rufus gives us a hint: faith. The faith he describes makes us unafraid, and allows us to believe before we can see exactly where we are headed.

“Find ourselves,” from the line above, suggests we don’t get there on our own. I imagine God’s guiding us to the “place just right” to be like the delightful surprise we want to share with someone we love. We might cover their eyes and lead them joyfully to the surprise, and then tell them they can open their eyes. And we hope that our gift will fill them with delight and love. This could be what God is up to in our lives: gently inviting us toward that which will fill us with love and delight. Even though we may not be able to see where we’re going, we can trust that God is leading us every step of the way.

When we open our eyes, may we be filled with love and delight at the place just right that God has so lovingly prepared for us.

Making it Personal: Reflect on your own relationship with faith. What if anything has shifted for you recently? Have you noticed any distractions or resistance getting in the way of receiving these gifts? In what ways has the focus this Advent supported you in experiencing the gifts of simplicity?

The Gift of Simplicity

The Gift of Simplicity

Simplicity and Faith

Reflection By Scott Stoner

’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
’Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
- Joseph Brackett, Simple Gifts

The Shakers were a Christian sect known for their simple ways of living, as captured in the familiar song Simple Gifts, written in 1848 by Shaker elder Joseph Brackett. There are eight lines to this song (the entire song is on p. 44), and over the next several days, we will reflect on them, two lines at a time.

The opening lines of Simple Gifts appear above. Together we will unpack the wisdom they contain for us as we continue reflecting upon the connection between simplicity and our faith.

First, and most importantly, these first two lines of the song mention the word “gift” three times. If simplicity is a gift then it implies that there must be a giver. The giver, although not explicitly stated in this song, is clearly God. We are called to be stewards of this gift, in the same way a gardener stewards the conditions for a plant. We are to help it grow, knowing with time and attention God will create the growth. We each are called to be stewards of simplicity in the garden of our own souls.

Staying with the gardening image, the phrases “’tis a gift to be free” and “to come down where we ought to be” both speak of the fruit that manifests in our lives when we are being mindful stewards of God’s gift of simplicity. Of course, just as with any garden, our lives are a work in progress, and there will always be plenty of weeds and distractions that need tending. We do the tending, and God creates the growth.

Making It Personal: What words or phrases speak to you in the first two lines of Simple Gifts? What do you think of the idea that simplicity is a gift we are given and that our role is to be “stewards of simplicity”?

Simplicity and Faith

Simplicity and Faith

Theme for Week Four

Reflection By Scott Stoner

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us.
- Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)

There are countless books and blogs on simplicity and minimalism, most written from a secular point of view. Many of them are quite helpful, and we can learn much from them. As people of faith, though, it is also essential to ground our approach to simplicity in our relationship with God. Connecting simplicity with faith will be our specific theme for this final week of Advent.

Yesterday Jane Johnson wrote, “God is with us; Love resides here.” She offers it to us as a “focus item” for Advent. I agree, and I also think it is helpful for us to ground a Christian understanding of simplicity with these same words: “God is with us; Love resides here.”

I connect these words with simplicity because if God is already with us and always with us, and if Love already and always resides here, then I simply need to awaken and live more fully into that reality. I don’t have to wait for it to happen, and I don’t have to go find it or “make” it happen because it is already here and already happening.

Jesus’ invitation to walk in love is quite simple. If and when it seems more complicated, it is because I have made it so. As we will rediscover and celebrate again this week, “God is with us; Love resides here” is a simple gift that we have already been given, and a gift we are continually offered again and again.

Making It Personal: What initial thoughts do you have about the connection between simplicity and faith? Can you think of a phrase or a portion of Scripture that could serve as a “focus item” for you this week as you think about a Christian approach to simplicity?

Love Is Waiting to Be Born

Love Is Waiting to Be Born

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Reflection By Jane Johnson

We are all meant to be mothers of God. God is always needing to be born.
- Meister Eckhart

When I was pregnant with my first child, the popular thing for expectant parents to do was to take Lamaze classes. At these classes we learned how to keep things as simple as possible in order to to breathe, to focus, and to prepare ourselves for the tremendously difficult work of labor. Back in those days (the mid-eighties), “better living through chemistry” wasn’t encouraged during childbirth, so we were counting on our preparation and our breathing to see us through. And we were told to prepare some items to have with us, including a “focus item.” The focus item was something we would look at to help us focus all our energy and strength into the work our minds and hearts and bodies would be doing in order to give birth.

In week four of Advent we hear the story of how Joseph learns he is going to, very unexpectedly, become a father. Many of us, like Joseph, get thrown an unexpected curveball and we have to quickly adjust. And it’s such a good news/bad news situation for him: “Mary’s pregnant! Hooray! But wait, how can that be? What will people think? Of me? Of her? Of this child? Culture tells me to walk away. But this angel, this messenger, tells me that this child is of the Holy Spirit and to name him Jesus, Yeshua—the One who saves. AND … this new life is entrusted to me.”

What an overwhelming prospect! I often wonder if Joseph consulted anyone else. Did Joseph have some trusted advisors who helped him to figure out what to do? I mean, that’s what I do when I get overwhelming information or a request is made of me that seems too big to even really consider. I go to my trusted circle of people, and they help me wade through the details, the fears, and the excitement, so that I can get at the heart of the matter.

For Joseph, and for us, the heart of the matter is the simple promise that “God is with us.” This knowing becomes our “focus item.” The impossible becomes possible because Joseph, and now each one of us, is able to suss out this single core detail: no matter what lies ahead, we will not have to face it alone. God—Love—is about to be born into the world and we all are invited to be a part of it.

“God is with us; Love resides here.” This is the Truth we set our gaze upon so that we can gather up all the strength and energy we’ll need to midwife new life into this tired world. This is hard, hard labor, so Beloved, let us draw strength and courage from our focus. It’s time. Love is waiting to be born.

Birthday Joy

Birthday Joy

Simplicity and Joy

Reflection By Jan Kwiatkowski

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
- Psalm 118:24

One of my grandsons turned 4 this year. I’ve never seen a kid who loves the traditional birthday rituals more than this kid. He had me text his parents to tell them that everyone needed to shout “surprise!” when he walked in the door, even though the party wasn’t due to start for another three hours. Following the customary lighting of the candles, singing, and the blowing out of the candles, he curled his fists against his beaming face and his little body shook with joy. As if turning 4, having cake, candles, presents, and the love of his family was almost too much to take in.

Young children have so much to teach us about living joyfully in the moment. While the verse above from Psalm 118 is generally associated with Easter, it’s also appropriate for living in the joyful expectation of Advent. Living Compass encourages us to “pay attention to what we pay attention to.” No matter the day, the time, or the season, we are offered the opportunity to pay attention to the things that bring us down or bring us joy. What we pay attention to affects the quality of our work, play, relationships, health, mood, everything.

As we wait in expectation for the fullness of God’s Love, just as did our ancestors who waited for the Messiah, let us pay attention to the joy we feel as we honor the One whose birthday we are preparing to celebrate. In the midst of whatever this Advent brings, may we look for and anticipate simple moments of joy each day.

Making It Personal: Recall a time a child taught you a lesson about joy. How might you apply that lesson to your life today? Notice what you pay attention to and how it affects the quality of your day.

Simple Joy

Simple Joy

Simplicity and Joy

Reflection By Robbin Brent

It is a valuable practice at night to spend a little while revisiting sanctuaries of your lived day. Each day is a secret story woven around the radiant heart of wonder. We let our days fall away like empty shells and miss all the treasures.
- John O’Donohue

As we continue to explore simplicity and joy, the quote above captures the importance of the simple yet essential practice of noticing each day what brings us wonder and joy. So how do we pay attention to what brings us joy? And when we figure that out, how do we sustain and grow the experience of joy?

I’ve found three spiritual practices in particular that keep me grounded and receptive to what brings me joy: gratitude, meditation, and a daily examen (see p. 51 for the Daily Examen prayer practice). For many of us, practicing gratitude wherever possible helps us to notice what brings us joy. Quietening the mind through silence creates space to listen more closely for what brings joy. And a daily examen provides an opportunity to look thoroughly and honestly at the day, identifying the highs and lows, the joyful and the painful.

What I’ve discovered is that it is the small things that bring me the most enduring joy: the smell of my grandbaby, the first birdsong of the morning, the sun’s reflection sparkling on the waves, the taste of freshly picked strawberries, the warmth of a hug from a friend.

When we are able to celebrate what brings us joy, we celebrate what truly matters: a sense of belonging, of loving and being loved, of experiencing and expressing joy, which is a perfect gift to offer, to ourselves and to others during this holy season of Advent.

Making it Personal: What helps you to identify and celebrate the simple joys in your life? Perhaps you might pause right now and name something small that has brought you joy recently. What might help you to continue to notice the small things that bring you joy for the remainder of Advent?

True Simplicity and Joy

Making a Joyful Noise

Simplicity and Joy

Reflection By Scott Stoner

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him. …
- Romans 15:13 (NIV)

In his quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” Theodore Roosevelt reminds us that comparison has the capacity to steal our joy. I think it also has the power to do the same with simplicity.

Our consumer culture thrives on comparison, and the holidays often pile on an additional layer of struggles with comparison. Its subtle goal is to make us feel in some way inadequate if we don’t have the newest version of this or that product/relationship/job. Social media also encourages comparison as people post only the highlight reels of their lives. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves wondering why our imperfect lives don’t look as flawless as other lives. We may wonder why everyone else’s images of their family seem perfect, while the painful, often messy, challenges within our families are so well-known to us.

When comparison leads to feelings of inadequacy, it can prompt us to do, buy, eat, or drink more to overcome these uneasy feelings. We are wise to remember that doing or buying more is the opposite of simplicity, and that true joy and simplicity are found not in doing or getting more, but often in being content with less.

No comparison is necessary when we focus on true simplicity and joy. A quiet moment alone, with a friend or loved one, in nature, or with God, can be an abundant gift of simplicity and joy in and of itself. There is no need to compare it to any other moment—either our own or someone else’s. Giving ourselves permission to take the time we need to create rich moments for ourselves is the best protection we can offer our joy.

Making It Personal: What do you think of the idea that comparison can be a thief of both joy and simplicity? Are you caught up in any kind of comparing your life to others during this holiday season? If so, what choices can you make to reclaim a greater sense of true simplicity and joy?

Making a Joyful Noise

Making a Joyful Noise

Simplicity and Joy

Reflection By Robbin Brent

I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.
- Mary Oliver

This past year I discovered why joy and singing are celebrated throughout the Bible. For more than 20 years, I had wanted to take singing lessons but because I had no desire to sing publicly, I didn’t think a voice coach would want to work with me. I simply wanted to explore, honor, and celebrate my true voice. Then, through a mutual friend, I discovered a marvelous and gifted voice coach who was happy to work with me.

After only a few sessions, I was amazed at how singing every day brought so much joy and delight, not only to singing, but to other areas of my life and relationships, as well. This reminds me of one of the foundational principles running through all of the Living Compass resources: all areas of our well-being are interconnected. What happens in one area of our lives will affect all the other areas. My experience confirms the wisdom and truth of this, and it offers hope and encouragement because it means we don’t have to tackle every area we feel needs our time and attention. If we give our full attention and prayer to just one area, the growth and transformation we experience there will offer unexpected blessings to the whole of our being.

While I don’t have room to share the 500+ Bible verses related to joy and singing I found, here is one that has lifted my spirits along the way from Psalm 13:5-6: Let my heart rejoice in your saving help. Let me sing to the Lord.

Making it Personal: What is your response to the idea that all areas of whole-person well-being are interconnected? Is there an activity or hobby you’ve wanted to try but for some reason haven’t yet? Something that makes you happy just to think about? If yes, what is one step you could take today that would move you closer to your desire?

Saying Yes!

Saying Yes!

Simplicity and Joy

Reflection By Scott Stoner

Be present to the possibility of joy. … For God is good and present and doing more than we can imagine.
- Amy McCreath

In the story from Sunday’s reflection, when Amy McCreath’s friend Paul came and said, “Let’s go!” she had several choices of how she could have responded. She could have said, “No, can’t you see how busy I am?” Or, “This is just not the right time for this.” She also could have responded with, “Yes, but I can only be gone for an hour.” Or, “Yes, but I can’t leave until I get more work done.” Instead, she chose, “Yes, let’s go!” and off Amy and her two friends went for a day of simple laughter and joy.

Amy’s story speaks to me of the stress I frequently put on myself this time of year as I get so busy making plans of all sorts. I find myself thinking that once all my plans work out, I will then be able to stop and enjoy myself. It is often, however, at just that moment that God comes along and invites me to let go of my plans and choose instead to experience joy in this present moment. Occasionally I am able to say “Yes!” and when I do, I am always grateful. Too often, though, I say, “Not now,” or “Yes, but …”

Planning can be essential during the holidays. But, we all know the saying, “Too much of a good thing …” To paraphrase the scripture from Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time to plan, and a time (yes even during Advent) to spontaneously let go of those plans, and to say “Yes!” to God’s invitation to cultivate both simplicity and joy right here and now in the present moment.

Making It Personal: What might God be inviting you to spontaneously say “Yes” to right now? Are you aware of times when you are seemingly saying “Yes” to God, but often making it a “Yes, but …”? Are the holidays this year offering you a chance to say “Yes” to a different plan than perhaps you originally had in mind?

Simplicity and Joy

Simplicity and Joy

Theme for Week Three

Reflection By Scott Stoner

Joy is not just about being happy. Joy is a rigorous spiritual practice of saying yes to life on life’s terms. 
- Mark Matousek

Have you ever thought about the difference between happiness and joy? The Dalai Lama and the late Desmond Tutu provide a helpful distinction in a book they wrote together a few years ago entitled, “The Book of Joy.” They observe that happiness tends to be based on circumstances and is fleeting, like a butterfly that comes and goes. This focus on circumstances is revealed when we hear ourselves say something like, “I will be happy when such and such happens.” This indicates that our happiness depends on something outside of ourselves.

Joy is internal and more constant. Joy is less dependent on external circum­stances. Desmond Tutu faced enormous suffering in his lifetime (as has the Dalai Lama), yet Tutu was one of the most joyful people I have ever had the good fortune to meet. Even though our meeting was several years ago, I still remember his infectious smile and laugh. His joy came from a place deep within, from a lifetime of cultivation.

Cultivating a spirit of joy takes regular practice, much like cultivating simplicity. This week, we will focus on the more profound experiences of simplicity and joy that are less affected by the inevitable ebbs and flows of external events. This is similar to the “peace that passes understanding” and “an attitude of gratitude” referenced in earlier reflections. These interior mindsets of simplicity, joy, peace, and gratitude are the foundations of living a spiritual life, and I know that, for me, they require a lifelong commitment to nurturing and strengthening.

Making It Personal: Do you think of happiness and joy as being different? If so how, or why not? What initial thoughts do you have about the connection between simplicity and joy? Do you see a connection between these two in your life right now?

Being Present to Joy

Being Present to Joy

The Third Sunday of Advent

Reflection By Amy McCreath

Oh I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
- Dolly Parton, I Will Always Love You

“Let’s go!”

Twice a year, my colleague Paul would show up in the doorway of my office at 9 a.m. and issue this directive. I would drop whatever I was working on, and walk with him to the office of our colleague Johanna, and together we would stand in her doorway and exclaim, “Let’s go!”

The three of us would leave behind whatever we thought we were going to do that day, climb into Paul’s enormous Buick, and drive up to the coast, listening to Dolly Parton songs all the way. We would eat lobster rolls for lunch, which Paul always insisted on paying for, and stop at a famous fudge store on the way back.

Paul’s “Let’s go!” always came in the middle of months that felt overwhelming. They interrupted me when I was struggling to trust that I could truly be the vessel of love and justice that God was calling me to be. They came when my hands were weak and my knees feeble. They came when everything felt too complicated and my skills inadequate.

Paul’s “Let’s go!” was a simple invitation, and the day away was a simple activity. It was a spiritual practice, really: Step away. Be present to the possibility of joy today. Simple. But a powerful practice.

The third Sunday of Advent arrives like a hearty, “Let’s go!” offered by a generous companion. Three weeks into a season of watching and waiting in hope for the coming Light, Love, and Truth that is the incarnation of God in Jesus, we are weary. If we are living in northern climes, the days are growing shorter and chillier, and our calendars are overcrowded with responsibilities as the holidays draw near. On this third Sunday of Advent, the church invites us to rejoice—gaudete in Latin—and refreshes our hearts and eyes by adorning itself in the color rose. Refreshed for the journey still ahead to Christmas, we can rejoice now because we know that God is faithful to God’s promises. Jesus is coming soon.

Mary, the mother of our Savior, is the voice of Gaudete Sunday, the one standing in the doorway saying, “Let’s go!” Her spirit is rejoicing, because she knows in her very body that God is fulfilling all those promises announced by Isaiah so long ago. God is showing mercy, casting down the mighty, and lifting up the lowly. And God is doing that within her and for her and within us and for us, now and always.

So sing along with Dolly Parton today, or sing the Magnificat, or just let out a big “Hurrah!” For God is good and present and doing more than we can imagine.

The Stable’s Invitation

The Stable’s Invitation

Simplicity and Letting Go

Reflection By Jan Kwiatkowski

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
- Luke 2:7 (KJV)

The holiday season is filled to the brim with cultural and personal ideals of what a good Christmas needs to include, like the perfect tree, unique decorations, unsurpassed presents, delicious food, and harmonious family gatherings. No wonder we can feel so stressed this time of year.

The messiness and humility of the stable stands in stark contrast to our definitions of what makes a “perfect” Christmas. Mary and Joseph loved their unborn child with every fiber of their being and they did all they could so that Jesus could be born in the best possible place in the best possible conditions. Yet they were forced by circumstances beyond their control to let go of their hopes of finding the perfect place in which to welcome their baby, and instead had to settle for a stable.

Despite this setback, they were somehow able to let go and trust that God was present and would provide what was needed. The stark simplicity of the stable became a holy place of letting go.
We all have expectations about Christmas. Yet, like Mary and Joseph, we may find ourselves in a situation where circumstances beyond our control force us to let go of our hopes and dreams, our best-laid plans.

The stable invites us to remember the gift of God’s love being birthed in us whenever we are able to let go of expectations and instead choose to trust. God’s love is always present no matter what life brings.

Making It Personal: Are you facing a situation or circumstance beyond your control right now? What helps you to let go of an outcome and instead trust in God’s loving presence? How might you experience God’s love being birthed anew in you?

A Spoon and a Prayer

A Spoon and a Prayer

Simplicity and Letting Go

Reflection By Robbin Brent

Practice makes progress, not perfection.
- Unknown

Perfectionism is something I’ve wrestled with most of my life. During a workshop years ago, one of my favorite teachers of growth and change, Tom Condon, prescribed a practice for those of us who struggled with the need to do things perfectly. He suggested that we purposefully drop a spoon on the floor in a restaurant. He explained that we do this in order to learn that not only will we not die from a lethal dose of mortification, we may learn, as we practice being “imperfect,” to loosen the grip perfectionism has on us so that we may experience more ease as we move through our lives. We may come to feel a sense of “enoughness” as we let go of the belief that we need to be perfect in order to belong.

After I finally worked up enough courage to drop a spoon on the floor of a restaurant, not much happened, on the outside. The sky didn’t fall. The only person who noticed was the waiter, who promptly replaced my utensil. That’s it. But on the inside, I experienced a significant shift. Through this simple little act, I realized that what I’d been telling myself about what would happen if I wasn’t perfect simply wasn’t true.

What is true is that when we aren’t driven by a need to be perfect, we are much more relaxed, open, and trusting. Perhaps when we can let go of perfectionism, we will be freer to accept, enjoy, and connect with our imperfect selves while trusting that despite—or because of—our imperfections, we know we are a beloved and cherished child of the Holy One.

Making it Personal: Can you relate to the struggle with a need to be perfect? This can be especially true this time of year. Can you think of one simple practice or prayer you could incorporate into your day that would help you to be more accepting, patient, and kind, toward yourself, and toward others?

Grief and Simplicity

Grief and Simplicity

Simplicity and Letting Go

Reflection By Scott Stoner

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; … a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Grief is a common emotion during the holiday season. It is natural to reminisce about past celebrations and to miss loved ones who are no longer with us. Perhaps this is the first Christmas since a loved one has died, moved away, or there has been a separation of a different type that means you will not be together this year.

If we are not mindful, a common response when we are grieving is to try to hold on to the past, sometimes to the point of denying that this holiday season will be different. We may even go so far as to pretend to not feel the sorrow or pain. Difficulty letting go of past ways of celebrating the holidays can be an indication of unresolved grief.

If things are different for us this year, or have been for a while, we can embrace our new reality by choosing to simplify how we will celebrate. The hard work of accepting that we no longer can do what we used to do can open up new possibilities, maybe for a simpler, perhaps more spiritual, focus on Advent and Christmas.

Making It Personal: Are you experiencing grief or loss this holiday season? How can you both honor your grief and be open to new possibilities that might be present for you this year? In honoring that grief, is there any way you wish to simplify how you celebrate Advent and Christmas?

Freedom in Letting Go

Freedom in Letting Go

Simplicity and Letting Go

Reflection By Robbin Brent

John the Baptist’s minimalism was an act of faith.
- Gary Manning

It’s easy to choose between something we love and want and something we don’t. But it is much more difficult to choose between things we think we both want and need. In Sunday’s reflection, Gary Manning described this tension when he wrote about the challenge he faced when he had to choose to let go of things he thought were essential for the journey. Yet he discovered along the way that even some of the things he chose to carry that he thought he couldn’t travel without simply weren’t essential to the trip.

What are some of the things we are lugging around even though we don’t need them? This time of year we are cleverly tempted by our culture to jump on the mad merry-go-round of buying more, owning more, eating more, drinking more, wanting more. Sadly, the very things we’re promised will get us more of everything we want end up causing us to feel weighed down and unhappy.

Instead, like John the Baptist, if we can ground ourselves in our faith and heed its guidance toward more simplicity through letting go, we can prevent our stuff from getting in between us and the love of God, which is what we ultimately long for. And from that spaciousness we will be free to be more fully present to the gifts of this holy season.

Making it Personal: What is your response to the connection Gary made when he wrote that John the Baptist’s minimalism was an act of faith? Do you have a desire to lighten your load and free yourself from past choices that no longer serve your life? It yes, is there one thing you are ready to let go of this Advent?

Letting Go of Worry

Letting Go of Worry

Simplicity and Letting Go

Reflection By Scott Stoner

Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; … If God so clothes the grass of the field, … will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 
- Matthew 6:27-30

It is worth noting that the word worry is derived from the 14th-century German word for strangle. Closely related to worry is anxiety, which comes from the root word that means to constrict. Worry constricts, perhaps even strangles, our ability to practice simplicity. And worry definitely robs us of living fully in the present moment.

Jesus is making the same point when he asks if any of us can add a single hour to our lifespan by worrying. Research shows just the opposite; the stress from chronic worry and anxiety can shorten our lives.

It is best to start with small, simple steps to loosen the hold that worry can have on us. Here is one idea of how to proceed. Name one specific concern you would like to let go of right now. As often as possible, speak this desire to yourself while visualizing what life will look like once you let go of this particular worry. Some people find it helpful to write down their worries as a way to release them. Try giving your worry to God in prayer. If you find yourself taking the concern back, that’s okay; just let go and give it to God again—as many times as you need. Acting our way into a new way of feeling is sometimes the best way to create a change we desire. And finally, notice if, over time, you experience a little more peace and simplicity as you let go of your specific worry.

Making It Personal: Were you able to name a specific worry that you want to release? Did speaking, visualizing, and/or writing about letting go of this worry ease its burden? Do you see a connection between simplicity and letting go of this worry?