Greetings in the Name of the Lord, 

I was able to get up to Algonquin Park in Canada over the weekend, and it was a wonderful respite. It is amazing how quiet it can be, and how haunting the sounds of Loons can be breaking through that stillness. 

For me a canoe trip like the one I took is all about simply being, and doing it intentionally for a few days.  When I go to the Adirondacks for a backpacking trip there is always a specific goal around a mountain or two that I am looking to climb.  When I go for rock climbing trips is is all about the climbing. But with canoeing, it is not particularly difficult if well planned, things are slow, the pace is different, the priorities shift, the focus is on simply being, going through the most basic routines life requires.  I never over plan a canoe trip and as a result usually end up with plenty of time to sit by the water, stare up at the clouds in the sky, watch Loon pairs search for food together or simply take in the majesty of the wilderness.

I bring all this up not to make you jealous, but to remind us of how important it is to reset, to have some time to be still, to slow things down and to be intentional about it. The world around us is fast and noisy.  As I was returning to the canoe launch point and the parking lot, I was overwhelmed by the noise at the docks (there was a large Chinese Tour bus that was showing people how to canoe at the outfitter located next to the launch), but i was able to let it wash away because of all the stillness I had experienced.

Church can be (and dare I say should be) that opportunity for slowing down each and every week. To come to a place where things don’t move too quickly, old and ancient traditions are honored, and community is fostered without the pressure or rush of the rest of the world. It is truly time to reset and recenter and prepare one’s self for another week of being compassionate and loving (as best as we are able) in the world that swirls around us. 

Church is and can be a lot of things, but these days, I think a quiet inlet admist the storm of modern life is incredibly valuable.  Sure we throw in our bigger pilgrimages (like trips to the woods), but each and every week we have a chance to gather ourselves and hold a little bit of intentional stillness in a noisy and sometimes overwhelming world.

In Peace, 

Mike