Practice & Person

The glory of God is made manifest in a person fully alive. - Irenaeus

There is a saying in yoga that your practice is your person. There is a lot of truth to this: We are the culmination of our habits, be they good or bad.    

Having returned to yoga after a twenty-five year hiatus, I find myself wondering why I ever stopped. To be sure, I delighted in the Taekwondo years. I overheard Elizabeth telling Dick once that it was the only place where she wasn't embarrassed by me (LOL!). I would not trade out the time shared with Elizabeth refining our forms and kicks. Still, I wonder why did I ever stop a practice that stretches me not only physically, but also mentally? For the first time in a long time, I feel fully alive.

Christine Valters Painter writes in The Soul of a Pilgrim: "When we return to our practice after having left it for several days (or weeks, months, years) we often have a deeper appreciation for what we have neglected." I have certainly found this to be true! One of the things I am most struck by is how much more focused I am in my prayer life. I'm also more attentive to what I put in my body.

It is interesting to me that having unsuccessfully tried to improve both my prayer and eating habits, it took yoga to put me back on track. It appears that yoga, for me, is a keystone habit that informs and directs my other habits. Somehow, through the process of deep breathing and long stretches, I am becoming more mindful about how I care for myself: body, mind and soul.

Have you ever noticed that certain behaviors or routines have a tendency of pulling the rest of your life into order? By focusing on one or two practices, you improve your life in multiple areas at the same time. The key is discovering what those one or two practices are for you. 

Of course, the reverse is also true! When life gets busy and you happen to miss your workout (or your meditation or whatever your practice is), you're more likely to eat processed convenience food, succumb to inevitable distractions at work, and have trouble falling asleep at night. 

So, can you name your keystone habits? How does your practice reflect your person? What makes you feel fully alive to the glory of God?

With blessing,

Debbie Rundlett

General Presbyter 

Holy Habit: Practice & Person

Christine Valters Painter reminds us, "We need practices to act as touchstones so they can sustain us for the journey." What practices support you in your faith journey? What master habits inform your person? Listen deeply for what your mind, body and soul have to tell you?

Greetings from the Presbyterian Historical Society!

We hope your congregation is planning to celebrate Heritage Sunday on Sunday, May 24. To assist, the Presbyterian Historical Society has created bulletin inserts that you can download for use in your congregation. This year, we are commemorating "Faith in God," Abraham Lincoln's funeral sermon preached by Presbyterian pastor Reverend Phineas Gurley.  

As always, PHS is here to serve your congregation. From preserving your history, to accessing historical records, to learning more about the heritage of American Presbyterianism, there is a lot to explore at www.history.pcusa.org!

Blessings on your ministry,

Deana Stuart

Deana Stuart

Development Assistant

Presbyterian Historical Society

425 Lombard Street

Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516

telephone: 215.928.3865

email: dstuart@history.pcusa.org

www.history.pcusa.org

  

An Open Invitation to Shared Worship Service at Wooster Westminster 

From Pastor Dries Coetzee, Wooster Westminster 

Press Release - The Wooster Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and Westminster Presbyterian Church highlight issue of family detention with Wooster native and immigration attorney Brian Hoffman as Guest Speaker.

The Wooster Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and Westminster Presbyterian Church will be holding a joint worship service on Sunday, May 17 at 10:45 am in Westminster's Mackey Hall, 353 East Pine Street, Wooster, Ohio focusing on the US/Mexico border crisis, family detention, and how people of faith can respond.  The guest speaker will be Wooster native and immigration attorney Brian Hoffman. Hoffman, who graduated from Wooster High School in 2001, practices immigration law in Columbus with the firm of Muchnicki & Bittner, LLP. He has represented immigrants from a variety of countries in asylum proceedings here in the U.S. and has traveled to family detention centers in New Mexico and Texas to help detained immigrant families fight their asylum cases. Hoffman is taking a leave of absence from his firm to spend six months in Texas coordinating a project that provides free legal services to women and children at a family detention center in Dilley, Texas. The families, many of whom are fleeing horrific violence in Central America and parts of Mexico, are applying for asylum in the United States, but often cannot afford legal representation to help them present their cases. Teams of volunteer attorneys have traveled from all over the United States to take cases at the detention center, which can house up to 2,500 people. Hoffman, who earned his law degree from The Ohio State University in 2009, will serve as the full-time coordinator for future teams of volunteers.

The service will begin at 10:45 and will include a shared meal. Donations will be used to help support the pro-bono project at the Dilley Family Detention Center and information will be provided on how to volunteer. While the service takes its inspiration from the Quaker and Presbyterian traditions, this event is open to all as we work together for a more just world.

Andries J. Coetzee, Pastor

Westminster Presbyterian Church

353 East Pine Street

Wooster, OH 44691

www.wpcwooster.org

https://www.facebook.com/wpcwooster 

PC(USA) Announces Registration for Big Tent 2015

July 30 - August 1, 2015, University of Tennessee Conference Center, Knoxville, TN

Big Tent 2015 registration is up and running and everyone is excited about what it will bring!

Please consider including the Big Tent video (https://youtu.be/xShTbAESJj8 ) and the Big Tent web site link (http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/big-tent/ ) on your presbytery web site or in other promotional opportunities.   The video is just 1 minute long and gives a quick overview of what makes this Big Tent unique and would be a great minute for mission at a presbytery meeting!

Thanks so much!

Tom

Thomas D Hay

Director of Assembly Operations

Associate Stated Clerk

Office of the General Assembly

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)