The present moment
September can be a strange sort of month, an in-between sort of month. You've been looking forward to the summer, and now it's nearly over. You've been looking forward to holidays, to travelling, to time with family and friends, and now - they're all nearly over. So now what are you to do? Find something else to look forward to? Lean back and enjoy the memories? Or what?
September can be a strange sort of month, an in-between sort of month. You've been looking forward to the summer, and now it's nearly over. You've been looking forward to holidays, to travelling, to time with family and friends, and now - they're all nearly over. So now what are you to do? Find something else to look forward to? Lean back and enjoy the memories? Or what?
There's nothing wrong with looking forward, nothing wrong with looking back. They're part of what makes us human. But it's maybe not so good to spend all our waking hours doing so. Especially if past and future only appeal as a distraction from the ordinary routines of everyday life. Or because we're trying to avoid dealing with something we should have dealt with long ago.
Maybe we need to re-discover the art of living in the present moment. Small children thrive on it, but sometimes as adults we forget how to do it. Paying full attention to what we're doing now, in this moment, every sense alert, enjoying it to the full. Or maybe there's something in the old idea of counting our blessings. Even in the worst of times there is always something, or someone, to be thankful for. Thankfulness doesn't make the problems go away, but it does somehow move us on into a better frame of mind, so we can deal with the problems more constructively.
I know I mentioned this last month, but there's a new service on offer at All Saints' Church, Nocton. It's called "Breathe" - a chance to catch your breath at the beginning of a new week. It's at 6 pm on the second Sunday of each month. So the next one will be on Sunday 9 September, then 14 October. There are readings, prayers and silence. A good opportunity to think about past, present and future - and to re-focus.
You won't be on your own - 22 people were there last time - but anyway, you can just sit. Relax. Catch your breath. It doesn't matter who you are where you come from. You don't have to be a regular church-goer. You don't even need to speak to anyone else. You can simply come and go. Though there is a glass of wine afterwards if you'd like to stay and chat.
So this September, may we all, by God's grace, discover how to live in and enjoy the gift of this present moment.
Love Lorna
Love Lorna
