I have had a very productive week. I managed to write the first draft of my sermon for Sunday on Thursday afternoon. This came on the heels of working in the food pantry at church and knowing that choir rehearsal was later in the day.
Each day I have taken a self imposed mini retreat. My goal is to spend one hour either doing research and/or writing. So far, I have met my goal.
This week marked my first week not in seminary. For three years my focus has been on a class, a paper, or a project. Every goal I had seemed centered on an academic achievement.
After seminary, I was afraid of losing that spark that drove me to finish my degree. If this week is any indication of what is to come, I should not be worried.
I realized today that one can become complacent and not seek out ways to make life interesting. Actually, I felt that way before seminary. I felt like my professional life was in a big rut and that I was simply going to exist. One of the many gifts I learned while in school is that I do have the ability to make my own choices.
I couldn’t remember when I practiced a consistent spiritual discipline before I went to school. I was not aware that my life depends on maintaining moments of spiritual renewal. For me, a spiritual discipline is crucial.
I am not necessarily talking about a religious commitment, but about some type of reflective study which links me to the divine. It may be in a time of prayer, or writing, or even research. These are times when I block the world out and connect to a sacred space in my life. Seminary taught me how to speak and be in that part of myself which felt “stuck.” Allowing time with the sacred reminds me of hope and excitement. I feel alive.
Today, I am grateful for the experience of going to school and being the first person in my family to receive a master’s degree. I also am grateful that I have the opportunity to practice my spiritual discipline in a way that revives me.
From a Pastor's Point of View 