Making Summer a Time of Rejuvenation

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

(Psalm 29:11 NIV)

When we think of summer we may think only those who get to lounge on the shore or go on a tour of some exotic place are truly enjoying summertime and having a summer vacation. Sadly church attendance tends to slump in the summer because of this expectation that one needs to “get away” or “take a break.” But there are many ways to take “mini-vacations” right here that can rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit – in healthier ways without having to go away.

Hebrews 10: 24-25 tells us to keep coming to church even in the summertime: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I suggest approaching summer differently this year, with healthy Christian living that can rejuvenate and give you rest without having to go anywhere and spend money. Then donate the money you saved to a good cause like our PCM Outreach programs. By doing so you will be helping others rejuvenate through food, clothing, or by participating in mission trips like the Foundation for Peace trip serving those in the Dominican Republic.

We are instructed to: “Have no anxiety about ANYTHING but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” (from Philippians 4:8-7) 

When I am stressed I consider the passage above as a command from God. The scripture doesn’t say, “Maybe if you pray you will feel less stressed.” It says first to have no anxiety about anything. This is stated as if it is a sin to be anxious. We are told to give up everything to God gratefully. And the Peace of God “will” (it doesn’t say “possibly”) we are guaranteed that God’s peace will guard our hearts and our minds as we follow the ways of Jesus. John 10: 10 also reminds us that Jesus came so we can have life abundantly. His ways show us how to be healthy in our living in community with others and in our relationship with God. 

A summertime rejuvenation plan is: 1. Keep coming to church. 2.To prevent feeling stressed, take “mini-vacations” (even in the car or plane) and Pray, Pray, Pray. Learn the Centering Prayer method used in the study of resiliency last Advent. (Nearly 100% of our PCM study participants improved their Resiliency status with just 20 minutes of “resting in God” each day for six weeks!) 3. Learn the ways of Jesus for faith and health. And feel God’s peace rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit. May you have a blessed summertime! See you at church! 

Body, Soul, and Spirit in Harmony

“I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.”          
(3 John 2)

How do we find harmony in our body, soul, and spirit? Are humans created to be three entities in one as God is in the Trinity? What is the distinction in the functions of each of our three parts? Instincts tell us we sometimes just "know" something without any concrete evidence of it. Where exactly is our spirit?  How do the soul and spirit interact? A conceptual figure of the body, spirit, and soul relationship is illustrated below.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body."             (1st Corinthians 6: 19)

To live in harmony with ourselves and one another we must first care for ourselves holistically in body, soul, and spirit. When your life is not in balance your body may show the signs by succumbing to disease or by experiencing a life crisis. This is a universal concept. Each one of us has a physical body that reacts to fear, stress, abandonment, loss, betrayal, anger, joy, excitement, and we all hope for love.

We are all matter and spirit. Our Creator God dwells in and reaches out to the world with love through us. All of our souls hunger for truth, justice, love, and forgiveness. With all the worlds economic greed and injustice we may feel there is no hope for our spirits and souls to make a difference in the world for peace and harmony. Yet, there is hope. Our spirits call us to healing within and healing outside ourselves. We are called to take steps towards wholeness and oneness; not to be destroyed by depression and hopelessness.

In the book, A Hidden Wholeness, Parker Palmer recommends that we slowdown, do more with less, and pay attention to life's rhythm. He says the soul wants to keep us connected to community for it understands that relationshipas are necessary for us to thrive. And the soul wants to give us life and to pass that gift along, "to become life-givers in a world that deals with too much death."

A new small group is being developed in our church community. It will have a theme of: Harmony in Body, Soul, and Spirit. We will be reading inspirational Christian readings that inspire us to promote our own wholeness and seek ways to help our precious world be made whole as God intended it to be in the beginning. Contact me through my email: calloway@pcmorristown.org if you are interested in joining our small group.

Creating and Sustaining Lord, thank you for giving us the hope for wholeness in body, soul, and spirit. Grant us all a spirit that joyfully celebrates your love. Unite us in Oneness as the global family of God who cherishes the gift of life on our precious earth. May your Peace that surpasses all understanding dwell in our hearts and souls from this day forward. Amen

(Illustration at top from http://www.faithandhealthconnection.org/the_connection/spirit-soul-and-body/)

Why Do We Have Yoga Classes?

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

In the 1990’s, I was a Parish Nurse/Counselor at National Presbyterian Church in the North Washington DC area. Part of the focus of a PN’s work is to develop “Faith and Health” programs that motivate the congregation (and staff) to care for their bodies, minds, and spirits in holistic health promoting ways, valuing the “body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.” This theme has flowed into my work as a Pastor here at PCM. While providing pastoral care I think of your whole person in body, mind, and spirit as I pray for each you.

Last winter, I organized a “Coping with Depression” group and planned an exercise class in coordination with the group timing because regular exercise often decreases the severity of depression. Yoga was chosen for the exercise method because a certified Yoga instructor in our church family was looking for ways to share her gifts and talents with the church. This presented a perfect opportunity to combine the talents of Susan Jones with our need for an exercise class to follow the depression group! (Recently, Susan moved to Florida, but the group of 12+ dedicated class members kept the yoga class going with various devoted amateur instructors).

Although Yoga was originally practiced 5000 years ago as an Eastern religious practice, it is now widely accepted in the West as a peaceful way of exercise that promotes health and mental wellbeing. The original goal of Yoga practice was the uniting of the spirit with the cosmos. Our class applies "Hatha Yoga" which is a physical fitness yoga allowing us to focus on the movements in a holistic practice that benefits body, mind and spirit without the eastern religion emphasis. The Sanskrit term “ha” means sun energy and “tha” refers to the moon. The Hatha Yoga poses focus on a balance between opposites (right and left) and breathing while stretching, relaxing, and strengthening.

People take up yoga for a wide range of reasons: to gain flexibility, to tone-up or lose weight, to improve their ability to relax, or for the challenge of learning something new. Regular practice of yoga improves general fitness, balance, and strength, with each class ending with a peaceful relaxation time. Yoga has the potential to make each of us more fit disciples of Jesus Christ. Join us for Yoga on Saturday mornings at 10am in the Parish House. Your body, mind, and spirit will be glad you did! (For more information contact me or any of our current pool of instructors: Carolyn Westerdahl, Christine Volinsky, and Milton Argueta Jr.)