Living in the Pause of Light
Photo Credit: Tom Price
‘We are living, as communities and individuals, in the glow of Easter’s light that reminds us everyday (of the year) that another world is possible with Jesus.’
Does this statement mean that we will feel that radiance all the time? Nope. Does it mean that we must have a problem with this world? Nope. Does it mean that we could discover a life free from conflict or tension or darkness? Nope. But does it mean that we do not need to live in the shadows? Yep. But does it mean that this world might have problems? Yep. But does it mean that we can encounter peace or hope or light in our daily lives? Yep. Well, I think so. The great Alleluia in the midst of all of this. I think this statement resonates with the emotional, mental and spiritual landscapes that our lives are currently taking a walk through.
Around the season of Easter we would normally have our Vision Sunday’s, where we gather together to acknowledge all that God has been doing in the life of the communities of Holy Trinity & Saint Stephen’s in the previous year (worship), giving extensive thanks for the hard, creative and passionate work by people serving God as the body of Christ (ministry), reflecting on the ways, old and new, that have emerged in our communities and the new people who have joined us on the journey (mission) and sharing the future shape and direction of where we may be heading with God (prayer). All of these are important pillars that we are building on, and with, the work of the Spirit in our midst. So in a nutshell, it is a time where we take an intentional pause. A pause to celebrate, to give thanks, to reflect and to wonder. But now a form of a Pause has come too many people, certainly not all, but many and some of this is happening on behalf of others for whom pausing is far from possible.
As this incredibly challenging and difficult time has changed many things for people, including our church communities, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on our Vision Sunday’s last year. You may recall that there were two areas we focussed on; firstly, Underpin Uncertainty (developing secure foundations for the journey through fragile landscapes) and, secondly, Self-Less=Self-More (embracing our identity). The following are some excerpts taken from the first area:
‘We all know that throughout history there have been immensely significant seasons where nations, communities, individuals have faced incredible periods of uncertainty. We each face an incredible mass of unknowing material that floods our lives, whether this is political confusion, national expression, health, financial complications, family complexities – that we have to somehow filter and sift through. … God calls us not only to live with but also to grow and thrive through uncertainty. … In the Church of England, we use the following liturgical words in our Communion worship - “The Lord is here. His Spirit is with us.” This is foundational for any moment of our everyday life, any experience we are encountering, any chaos or darkness that surrounds us, any fragile ground upon which we feel under our feet. Where you are, the Lord is. Where you are, you are not alone. This helps us to seize the sacred. This helps us to align our perspective with something bigger than ourselves’.
The second area I mentioned has been witnessed and significantly challenged by the incredible acts of selfless care and kindness and love of people towards both stranger and friend in recent months. For quite a while, there has been a questioning of whether the church was too often trying to answer questions that people were no longer asking. I think that will now change. The questions (and our accompanying prayerful reflections) we all have at the moment will not only be influencing and shaping the future world we will live in but also the role and direction of the church within it. There is still much to celebrate, much to give thanks for, much to reflect on and still to wonder. So, in a sense, we are still engaging with Vision Sunday’s but it is just happening every day alongside, and with, everything else.
‘We are living, as communities and individuals, in the glow of Easter’s light that reminds us everyday (of the year) that another world is possible with Jesus.’
A matter for pause
It can be controlled and it can be withdrawn
Like the dancing of a foot
Clouded in a singular beat
Softened and squeezed
A sacred release.
Random pixels sprayed across the day
and vulnerable meditations through the night
that lead but sometimes without sight.
So easy to just become part of the structure
instead of standing on top and reaching
so I take a moment to pause
And when I do something becomes clear
In the midst of paddling out
There is a wave coming
A wave to carry the burden and to transport the soul to a place
From where the essence of metanarratives were birthed.
We all need a moment to pause
And in that pause a new answer.
Turn swiftly, with all your heart, to God and be embraced. It is in Christ where community can be found,
where disconnected parts, exiled from each other, can collide back together both beyond and within time and space.
‘We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.’