How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. Selah
Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Psalm 84:1-8
Dear Friends,
We are people of Light. We have a Companion and Savior leading the way. This Light lives within us. During this Epiphany season, I wonder . . .
Where are we dwelling? Where are we living? Do we find ourselves wanting more, listening to voices in our heads telling us we are not enough, we are not doing enough, or we will never get there (wherever “there” is)? The birds find a place to nest; God provides a home, a dwelling place, for each of us. Even as I read this scripture, my hope for we who follow Jesus and who long to be more like him (the Light) is to be “happy.”
Can we really be happy, like “Happy are those who dwell in your house” or “Happy are those whose strength is in you”?
I attended my first church service in the Sound District as District Superintendent on the first Sunday of January. While there, I enjoyed two services with beautiful music, inspired words, meaningful liturgy, and holy communion. After we consumed the elements, we were all invited to take a star word from the altar rail. These wooden craft stars each had a word written on them. Many different words were there: joy, hope, adventure, intention, grace, give . . . the star word that chose me was content. A star word is offered as a way to focus your intention for the new year, perhaps to be aware of where you are in relation to it. You could use it as a focus for a year or a season. It might guide you and call you to have some intention around your word or simply draw you into the reminder that a word chose you, or you chose a word and wonder why that word.
Let me offer clarification around my word. I immediately thought content, like, “I have eaten a big meal, and I’m feeling content.” My children all suggested it could mean content, like, “Your letter is good but needs more content” (emphasis on the first syllable). They would say, “TikTok creators come up with a lot of content to keep their viewers!” I’m not sure I’ll share what my word is next time I get one!
So, I decided to go with how I read it the first time. The star word immediately became a question – “How will I become more content?” or “What does it take to be content?” I have wondered this for a while. I always keep my eye on the next thing. I stay pretty active in thinking about what is next and how I will get it done or even enjoy it! While this is not a bad way to live, I have wondered if I need to reflect on what I have done, take a quick look back every day, every week, and offer gratitude more intentionally. Perhaps I need to give thanks for these beautiful moments of each day so that I can recognize joy, love, peace . . . contentment.
A few years ago, I went with a group of women to a silent retreat. It was a bit of a crazy idea, actually! How was a group of women who love to laugh together and have a truly inspired “gift of gab” going to be quiet at all, much less for a whole retreat? We all meet up on a Tuesday, eight United Methodist clergywomen who knew each other from a variety of places: Duke Divinity, a friend of a friend, met in continuing education, and we hit it off. Our goal was to engage in a contemplative retreat, have lots of silence (even at meals!), and learn how to quiet our thoughts so that God could get a word in edgewise. We learned from our retreat leader how important even five minutes of silence, with space to hear God’s voice, each day could be. He shared with us that he taught a group of mothers with young children this practice. Simply be quiet for five minutes, breathing in and out deeply. If your mind starts to wander or need focus, you speak your name for God (Holy One or Heavenly Father, for example) to re-focus your breath and maintain a mind open to God’s voice. Young moms and their kids would get to the carline a few minutes early and turn off the music. They played “the silent game” and simply breathed together and listened for God before they were dropped off for school. The moms and the kids reported they had better days when this is how it began. They had less trouble squirming in their seats or focusing on the first tasks of the day and settling in for learning or work.
My hope is to do more of this silence with deep breaths and listening ears this year. It will provide a space for transformation from a human doing to a human being. I hope it will lead me to the kind of happy the bible speaks of. I may never achieve more than five minutes, but maybe those five minutes make me crave five more. Those five minutes may give me a glimpse of contentment and home. What would your five minutes offer you?
What if this kind of practice, this silence with an intent to listen, could be our dwelling place? What does it look like when five minutes spill over, and we want more God time? What if the silence, what if the voice of God, begins to feel like home? When we say, “Happy are those who live in your house, whose strength is in you,” can we see ourselves there?
We all love the adventure of this life and more. I hope when we achieve, go, and do, we recognize our “happy” nature and feel content. Keep it all in balance, and know God is resting and contented, too.
May the peace of Christ be with you all.