Monthly Message | May

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.” — Psalm 131:2 (NRSVUE)

Whether we are talking about our faith life or life in general, I believe it’s so vital to find times of quiet and calmness. To wean, even for those brief moments, from a sense of needing to do something, of needing to pick up our phone, of checking our email, of responding to the noise of the world that surrounds us.

Times of calmness and quiet help us connect with God and respond to Jesus’s invitation to find rest in him. Worship on Sunday can certainly offer that time. It also is important to find that time other than worship — find that time when we are “out in the world.”

We are entering into the summer season, with Memorial Day Weekend at the end of May being the unofficial start of summer. It is a season that while it can be full of fun times, it also can be a season that can feel just as busy and hurried as the non-summer months. I invite you to set aside some time during each these months to find moments of quiet and calmness, moments that can help you recharge.

St. Mark has a few offerings that can possibly help you and anyone looking to reset themselves. Starting this month, I am bringing back Worship Walks, which I started doing last summer. I hope to do one walk a month during the summer, with May’s walk being May 19 at the Arboretum at Penn State. Each of these casual walks feature prayers, a scripture reading and time of reflection, and communion. It is a wonderful way to spend time in nature, offer God prayers, and hear God’s Word.

On May 30, St. Mark is welcoming Marsha Roscoe of the Breathing in Christ ministry. Admittedly, I have been a huge fan of Breathing in Christ, which is “devoted to helping people reconnect with God, themselves, and their daily lives through simple, Christ-centered practices.” Some of its social media posts include just little reminders of taking a step back from the hustle and bustle of our lives, and breathe in God’s presence in your life and love for you.

Roscoe recently came out with her first book, Breathing in Christ: Experiencing Jesus in an Exhausting World. Her time at St. Mark will include talking about some of the practices from Breathing in Christ and answering questions. For more information, see page 6 of the newsletter, or feel free to contact me with any questions.

We can read in scripture that even Jesus needed time away, breaks from his everyday life to find calm, peace, and time in prayer — and he invites us to do the same. I, like many of you, enjoy being active and doing things. I find it hard to sit still. So maybe you and I, together, can promise ourselves that we will accept Jesus’s invitation to come to him and find rest for our souls.

Your friend and sibling in Christ,

Pastor David