The major source of stress in our lives is our inability to manage the flow of energy throughout each day. If you are like me, then the pattern that takes over the flow of our days is one of accumulation. A new activity is begun without the previous one coming to an end. Because there is no ending before a new beginning, there is no space for pausing. I reach the close of the day exhausted by the accumulation of non-ended activities akin to a multiplicity of tapes endlessly running over each other in my overtaxed mind.

By ending, Benedict did not mean completion of a task, simply a time to stop doing it before moving to the next thing awaiting us. This is both good and bad news for those of us who suffer from completion neurosis. It's sometimes hard to stop before the task is completed, but one can always return to it. Tasks may remain incomplete, but nevertheless must be ended, because other priorities await our attention.

I came across this quote from the author and activist Anne Lamott, which I suspect Deborah pinned to the soft board in the Church office: Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Like electronic devices we need to be frequently rebooted in order to preserve our energetic and psychic resources. We are going to pay special attention to this truth as we now enter upon our Lenten journey for 2016. You might like to take a look at the full description of our Lent program at Lent 2016 and signup for the program at SSJE. The daily video clips are now rolling out. 

I mentioned to Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman at Temple Beth-El that I was going to try to practice pausing more often as part of my practice this Lent. He replied - never mind pausing, how about stopping - now wouldn't that be something for a spiritual leader?

Our Lenten focus is to grow a rule of life; a kind of metaphorical trellis. Spiritual practices are like the plants that grow upon the trellis of our rule of life. Managing the flow of energies throughout our day is one of the building blocks of living spiritually. I hope you will join us, whether for the weekly group program over the next five Tuesday evenings, or individually following the online SSJE program at home, and /or our Sunday morning adult formation hour to experience more, this Lent. Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you -copy this out and attach it to your fridge door. See you in Church, this Sunday!