Returning
One of my favorite prayers in the prayer book echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah: “O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Every year, August feels like a month of returning. The last vacations of the summer are almost over. Back-to-school shopping is underway. Students and parents are getting their schedules and meeting their teachers. Soon, university students will be back in town, and driving anywhere will become more difficult.
This is a time of returning not only for the families of students and teachers but for the rest of us, too. Sara will be coming back from sabbatical in a few weeks. Charles begins his ministry among us this Sunday, completing our clergy team and bringing renewed focus on college ministry. Regular offerings like Education for Ministry, Golden Thread, the Rector’s Bible Study, and the Inquirers Class will start soon. August is a time for all of us to return and to embrace the spiritual renewal that comes with it.
At St. Paul’s, we invite everyone to develop a rule of life—a pattern of daily prayer, weekly worship, continual formation, and lifelong service, and intentional generosity. Whether you know it or not, you have a rule of life. What time do you wake up? What time do you go to sleep? Do you exercise every day? Do you spend time in prayer each morning? Is church on Sunday a default setting or a decision to be made each week?
A rule of life is not something to be maintained without deviation. It is an intentional pattern to which we return again and again. If we thought of our rule as an unbreakable structure, the legalism of our own best intentions would quickly suffocate us and those around us. When we realize, however, that a rule of life is a gracious invitation to spiritual growth, it becomes a gentle companion, ever beckoning us to return.
Your rule of life is the rhythm to which you tend to return, even after a long break. All of us go through spurts of exceptional behavior. The challenge is making a habit out of the good and leaving behind the bad. We make New Years resolutions to eat better and exercise more, but most of us fall back into old habits pretty quickly. We go on vacation and indulge ourselves in unsustainable ways because we know that, when we get back home, we will return to a more healthful life. We start a new job and give more of ourselves to its demands, but, when we have settled into that role, we find ways to return to the restorative practices we need for the long term.
Although a rule of life is the pattern to which we return, our rule is not set in stone. Over time, it changes, whether by intention or neglect. Take a moment and think about your current rule of life—the pattern you generally follow. Without focusing on how you will make it happen, what are the things you wish you had more or less of in your life? More peace and less anxiety? More joy and less stress? More mobility and less pain? More friendship and less isolation? More quiet and less chaos? As you think about your life’s current pattern, what are the elements that enrich your life, and which ones leave you drained? What little changes might you make that, in time, could become good habits—that could help redefine your rule of life?
August is a great time to come back to those things that give you life, but it may take longer than a month for those practices to become part of your rule. For most of us, patterns only develop or redevelop over time. If you have not been to church in months, come back! But don’t expect a one-week return instantly to make weekly worship a spiritual practice. You need to commit and recommit each week for months before coming to church is your default setting. And do not get discouraged if you miss a week or two. Shame and guilt only make it harder for us to find God. Start again, trusting that what you seek is still waiting for you.
The next several weeks are full of opportunities for return and renewal. This Sunday is Charles’ first Sunday at St. Paul’s. Come and hear him preach and get to know him during the Adult Forum, allowing yourself to imagine how you will reconnect with our church in this next chapter of our life together. Next Sunday, August 10, is the Blessing of the Backpacks. Whether or not you will be going to school this fall, consider that your invitation to return for the year ahead. That Sunday is also our first week for the new 9:00 a.m. service, which may be the perfect way for you to find a renewed place in worship at St. Paul’s.
The following Sunday, August 17, is our Ministry Fair. That morning, from 8:00-9:00 and 10:00-11:00, leaders from many of the ministries of St. Paul’s will be in the Parish Hall to tell you about their programs and give you a way to get involved. That Sunday is also Sara’s first Sunday back from sabbatical, and all of us are eager to welcome her back to our church family. On August 24, we will have our first monthly evensong service, which is a way for our congregation to return to the regular practice of ending the day with sung corporate prayer. And, by the time September arrives, we will be well on our way to pursuing these practices as part of our weekly rule of life.
I am always a little sad to leave the summer behind because I enjoy the slower pace, especially the quieter mornings, but I am also thankful for the wonderful fullness of life that is just around the corner. As we begin the patterns of the school year, listen for those things that are beckoning you to return, and look for one or two new things that may bring you life. If we start these practices now, by Advent they will have become habits, and by Lent they will be part of our rule of life.
Yours faithfully,
Evan D. Garner
