It is so true that the preacher needs the sermon at least as much as the congregation. At least, that’s been true so far in my baby-preacher experience.
For example, this past week, I preached (sermon to be posted soon – the audio is pretty quiet, so listening with headphones helps) about love and Earth. I preached about just looking and breathing and being idle in the arms of the Beloved. About how do-ing is not the surest route to love and intimacy, but be-ing is surely one way.
Meanwhile, I’ve had to cancel some plans I was really looking forward to this spring. Trainings I wanted to attend, social engagements with folks I miss and haven’t seen in a long time, a trip I wanted to take. And why?
Because I’ve been a human do-ing, not a human be-ing of late.
Until very recently, I’ve been burning the candle at all four ends.
Burning the candle down, doing doing doing, and not feeling satisfied with my performance or accomplishment or achievement with anything I was doing. Not feeling satisfied with school, with churchwork, with family life. And so focused on the achievement piece, the excellence piece, the no mistakes piece.
So a wise woman “prescribed” me naps. Naps and rest and downtime. And the ongoing practice of allowing myself Ten Mistakes A Day. Just to let myself be.
Just trying to Be allows me to Do more effectively and peaceably. But it comes so hard.
So for now, let’s just breathe. Let’s just look and listen and breathe and be.
Come and be One. Become One. Become. Be.
Thank you for teaching “What Moves Us: UU Theology” at All Souls. I’m sorry I could not thank you in person in the last session. I learned much about the early UU thinkers. The more abstract concepts were hard for me to grasp. I have autism and think mostly in concrete terms.
You mentioned naps in one session and in your blog. I’m a big fan of naps and quality rest. The things you say about breathing and being and allowing mistakes make a lot of sense to me.