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Dear beloved Passing the Peace Readers, 

This week I bring you a blessing from Kate Bowler - a favourite theologian of mine who is very gifted at honouring those of us who are struggling in life, especially in those times when we can get caught up with platitudes and expectations. Summertime is our season of relaxation, joy, adventure, and yet for some of us this is a time of challenge. Whether summertime has simply handed you an unexpected challenge or two, or you are somehow feeling behind in how much relaxing you’ve managed to squeeze into an ever-busy schedule - this blessing is for you: 

A Blessing for the Burned Out, Sun-drenched, and Soul-weary

Blessed are you who are burned out,
sun-drenched, and soul-weary.

You who long for rest
but feel pulled in a dozen (good) directions.

You who feel behind before the day even starts.

Whose group texts go unanswered,
whose sunscreen ran out,
who cannot remember what day of the week it is.

Blessed are you who are trying to care for others
when you barely have anything left to give.

You are blessed
when you don’t volunteer to bring orange slices to the soccer match.
When you eat cheese and crackers for dinner again.
When you say, “Sorry, I can’t make it.”

You are not lazy.
You are not failing.
You are honoring your humanity.

May you find pockets of rest,
when your body says no more.

May you find something you can set down,
when your calendar begs for margin.

May you find a friend who helps shoulder it with you,
when you are spread too thin.

And may you remember:
You are not a project to be optimized.
You are a person.
A beloved one.

You don’t have to earn rest.
You just have to receive it.

Even now. Even here.
In the middle of this beautiful, terrible summer.

 

Kate also offers some further reflections in her podcast you can view here: 

Holy Underachievement: Why Less is More 

Thanks to our Grand River Collaboration this summer there will be a week at the beginning of August where I am not leading worship but still available for pastoral care visits and other opportunities to connect. If today’s blessing spoke to you in any way please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for a phone call, a prayer, and/or a visit as I have set aside this time to be in community with you and am looking forward to it! 

 

May the peace of Christ be with you, 

Rev Michiko