Often it is the smallest act that has the power to reach where it is most needed and most appreciated where it can ripple the most into more small acts of kindness and love.
- INC Thanksgiving Services on November 22nd at The Central Congregational church at 10:15am (no services at CCNOT).
- Death Cafe: November 21st at 4pm.
- Holly Fair: November 28th from 9-1 (Santa Arrives at 10am).
- Holiday Tea to Support North Quabbin Citizen Advocacy on December 5th at noon (RSVP soon).
- Tree Lighting on Goddard Park on December 6th at 5pm.
- Christmas Eve Services at 7pm.
- Christmas Day (mini) Service and Quiet 9-10am. Feel Welcome to quietly come and go anytime between 9-10am.
Visit our Calendar of Events to explore our upcoming dates and times
All are Welcome. If you are uncomfortable with the word God, please feel welcome to insert your own word for the divine or Mystery in your life (Universe/Grace/Spirit/Divine).
These Reflections are written to be read aloud, please forgive any writing errors.
SUNDAY REFLECTION:
I came across in my book travels a book called The Book of Delights by Ross Gay. In it he explores, in essayettes, the delights of the every day. The intention was to see the ordinary wonders of life. The joys we overlook. To cultivate a life closely observed.
We are often rushing through life that we only notice what screams at us. The big and the loud. Intentionally seeking delights invites us to notice what is small and quiet. As John Phillip Newall says (paraphrased): “You cannot contain the sacred,…you must look for it everywhere”. And in every thing.
I’m loving the word “delight”.
It can be a noun: something that brings us a deep sense of joy.
It can be a verb, an action: to give pleasure; to take pleasure in. (to give; to choose)
Something that comes to us and something we can offer outward. I love that.
Of course, we have other words that reflect this delight. We seek awe and wonder.
A friend seeks “glimmers” (coined by Deb Dana), which are the opposite of “triggers”. Triggers activate the nervous system’s responses of fight, flight, and freeze. Glimmers cultivate rest, digest, and a sense of safety.
Blessings. Those perfect blessings that wash over our lives. The blessings that are within sorrow and concern. The blessings dusted, or coated, with the bitter. Loving so deeply it hurts. To sit with someone in pain. Blessings.
Love Notes. To be surprised by joy, by beauty, by kindness.
The delights of the sensory. The sun on our skin. The scent of baked apple pie to bring back a memory. A great musical composition. The taste of a perfect chocolate truffle. The moon suddenly appearing around the bend in a road.
The moments that catch us beautifully off guard (especially if we’re not paying attention to life’s love) and we f e e l something. Something bigger, and more amazing, than our single, little self. Extraordinary moments that stop us in our tracks and enfold us in Mystery and deepest Connection to…all of it.
We can train ourselves to see the delights. We can teach ourselves to pay attention not just to the big, bad, loud, and scary, but to the small, the good, the quiet, the peaceful. Glimmers.
Delights.
Delight. Delicious. Delectable. (Yes, I might have the DeeLite song stuck in my head now).
Holidays are often a time of these lovely D’s. Delight. Delicious. Delectable. Food. Music. Comforts. Treats. Memories. Some are glimmers and some are triggers, but it’s important to be intentional that we don’t live in our triggers.
The delights to come as we create new memories and new delights and joys in this new season to come. Maybe this is part of our great work of love and loving. To be the action verb of delight…to give delight, to make delight, to be delight.
This is not to avoid, or ignore, or pretend that there are no sorrows, trials, or realities that are bad and troublesome. There are trials and suffering and challenges and pain. Yes.
There are things to be tended to and put back together. There is healing to be done.
But when we are SO busy and rushed, we only notice what screams for our attention. More often than not, those screams are the troublesome, big, loud, scary things.
But we can train ourselves to notice the quieter things. Maybe we write essayettes of delights or lists of gratitudes to train our attention. Maybe we paint or doodle the love note of the day. Maybe we recite the glimmers of day before going to bed. Maybe we write notes of joy to our loved ones.
We train ourselves to notice the extraordinary ordinary moments. We reorient our compass.
We do this through quiet. Through pausing and slowing down.
B e S t i l l is the practice. Be Still leads us toward…I am.
B e S t i l l is what guides us to see what is easily unnoticed. To hear…to hear the still, small voice so easily drowned out…
The whisper of leaves….
The sparkles of stars…
I am astounded and delighted that
there is a sparkle of stars
a galaxy
a glowing moon…
every single night above us.
We only need stop and look up.
There are the delights. These are the love notes. These are our glimmers. These are the blessings.
The Grace that makes our lives more than worth living.
