The Earthing Movie: the remarkable science of grounding

 

In everything

 

The fullness of joy

Is to behold God

In everything.

–Julian of Norwich

Be amazed

 

Marconi Beach, Welfleet, Cape Cod

 

"The best time to start living simply is now," Josua Becker at the "becoming minimalist" blog

 

The Best Time to Start Living Simply Is Now By Joshua Becker There is an important truth about life that is helpful to understand: sometimes, the things we think will make us happy actually keep us from it. For most of my life, I believed the ‘American Dream’ was the path to a better life—a bigger house, a fuller closet, the latest gadgets, and all the things everyone else seemed to be chasing. So I chased and accumulated those things with determination, convinced they would improve my life. But looking back, I see how many of my years were spent chasing the wrong things. It’s not easy to admit, but much of my life was wasted pursuing possessions that didn’t matter. By the time I was 33, our home was filled with stuff—furniture, clothes, toys, gadgets, and countless items we thought we needed. Each new possession came with a hidden cost: time spent cleaning, organizing, repairing, and maintaining. Our lives were quietly being consumed by the very things we thought would bring us freedom. Then, everything changed. We began removing the excess—over 60% of our possessions—and in doing so, discovered a life filled with greater joy, purpose, and freedom. We found more time for faith, family, friends, and making a positive impact in the world. We uncovered passions we didn’t know we had. And we realized that the pursuit of possessions had been stealing our best years. If I could go back, I would start living simply much earlier—in my teens, in my twenties, or as a young family. Because the earlier we embrace simplicity, the sooner we experience its life-giving benefits: less debt, less clutter, more money, more intentionality, more time and presence with the people who matter most. The truth is, the path to simplicity looks different for everyone. Some get to learn it as a child from their parents. For others, it comes later—perhaps in a season of financial strain, a move to a smaller home, or a moment of clarity about what truly matters. Some discover simplicity as they raise young children, others discover it when they downsize after their kids have moved out. Some find minimalism through a book, a blog, a documentary, a conversation with their neighbor, or a life-changing event. Others stumble into it gradually, one small step at a time. But no matter how or when we find it, the best time to start living simply is always now. Here’s why starting early matters: 1. Simplicity Builds Better Habits When we start living with less early in life, we develop habits that can shape more of our future. We learn to value experiences over things, relationships over status, and purpose over possessions. These habits can become the foundation for a life of ever-increasing intentionality and fulfillment. 2. It Frees Up Resources for What Matters The earlier we simplify, the more time, money, and energy we have to invest in what truly matters. Imagine the impact of saving more, giving more, and pursuing passions sooner rather than later. 3. It Helps Us Avoid Regret One of my greatest regrets is not starting sooner—wasting years and money chasing things that didn’t truly matter. I wasted too much of life chasing things that didn’t matter, only to realize later that they were distractions from what did. Starting early helps us avoid that regret and live a life aligned with our values from the beginning. 4. It Prepares Us for the Unexpected Life is unpredictable. Simplicity equips us to handle change with grace. Whether it’s a career shift, a move, an unexpected diagnosis, or even a global health crisis, living with less means we’ve found freedom to help us be better prepared to adapt and thrive. 5. It Sets an Example for Others When we choose simplicity, we inspire those around us—our children, friends, and community. We show them that a meaningful life isn’t found in what we own but in how we live. And the earlier we can start showing that truth to our kids, the more likely they are to believe it. The beauty of simplicity is that it’s never too late to start—no matter where you are in life. Whether you’re 20, 40, 60, or 80, the benefits are waiting for you and able to be enjoyed just as soon as you want. But the earlier we begin, the sooner we experience them and the more time we have to enjoy them. So, where do we start? Begin small. Declutter a drawer. Cancel a subscription. Say no to something that doesn’t align with your values. Each small step builds momentum and brings clarity. The best time to start living simply is now. Don’t wait for the ‘right’ moment or perfect circumstances. Start today, and create a life you’ll never regret.

Hundreds of ways to kneel

 

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.

Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.

Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

~Rumi

The essential cycle of loss and renewal

 

"All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. Creation has a pattern of wisdom, and we must not shield ourselves from it; otherwise, we risk losing our souls. We can follow commandments, believe in doctrines, and attend church services for a lifetime, yet we may still lose sight of our true selves if we avoid the essential cycle of loss and renewal. Death and resurrection occur at every level of the cosmos, but only one species believes it can escape this reality—the human species.”

~Richard Rohr

7 March 2025 ~ From the Rector's Desk ~ "What is saving you now?"

 

St. Mary’s Newsletter, 7 March, 2025

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☩From the Rector’s desk☩

“What is saving you now?”

The wonderful author and priest, the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, tells of a time when she was about to give a presentation at a church and she approached the rector to ask his advice about what should be the topic of her talk.  

As a bit of background, she has written a dozen or more books, and is a noted preacher and presenter at conferences, and is extremely well-known in the larger Episcopal Church.  Many of her books retell portions of the Biblical story with her beautiful writing, and her wry sense of humor.  I have read and re-read most of her books many times.  

Back to our story, Barbara+ asked the rector for his thoughts about what should be her focus of her talk.  He answered, “tell us ‘what is saving you now?’”  She was surprised, and left to ponder this simple, and yet deep question: “What is saving you now?”  The sentence itself is, of course, in the present tense, and the tense is active.  What is at work, saving you?  What is energizing you?  What is giving you hope?  What is saving you from the doldrums?  What is pushing you out of bed every day?  What is saving you? Right now, at this point, in your actual life, in the messy, happy, sad, grouchy, chaotic, disorganized, functional and dysfunctional ways that your life exists right now?

This list is not a bad set of questions for us to ponder at this very time, in this very place.  

Perhaps it is music.  Perhaps it is friends.  Perhaps it is comedy film.  Perhaps it is poetry.  Perhaps it is exercise.  Perhaps it is fine food.  Perhaps it is meditation.  Perhaps it is prayer.  Perhaps it is writing.  Perhaps it is BritBox.  

Whatever it is that is bringing us toward that best version of ourselves, is, of course. enlivened by the Holy Spirit.  God works in mysterious ways, even through long walks, classic rock and roll, and playing bridge with friends.  Our true Joy and Gladness, are enlivened by Jesus, who knew only too well the suffering, pain, and difficulties of life.  And yet, he lived joyfully, lovingly, and enthusiastically.  Jesus’ own incarnation teaches us that God works on us through the things of the world.  So, even (and especially) in this time of Lent, embrace your Joy, ponder the shortness of life so that you might fully live, take up what you love, and allow it to transform you. 

What is saving you now?

The Very Reverend Peter Carey, Rector

 

Stand for the weak

“Christianity has adjusted itself much too easily to the worship of power. It should give much more offence, more shock to the world, than it is doing. Christianity should take a much more definite stand for the weak than to consider the potential moral right of the strong.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer,

Sermon on 2 Corinthians 12:9 (1934)

Romeo & Juliet ~ Mark Knopfler and EmmyLou Harris

 

Rise

 

Now I Become Myself, May Sarton

 

Now I Become Myself

By May Sarton

Now I become myself.  It’s taken
Time, many years and places;
I have been dissolved and shaken,
Worn other people’s faces,
Run madly, as if Time were there,
Terribly old, crying a warning,
“Hurry, you will be dead before—“
(What?  Before you reach the morning?
Or the end of the poem is clear?
Or love safe in the walled city?)
Now to stand still, to be here,
Feel my own weight and density!
The black shadow on the paper
Is my hand; the shadow of a word
As thought shapes the shaper
Falls heavy on the page, is heard.
All fuses now, falls into place
From wish to action, word to silence,
My work, my love, my time, my face
Gathered into one intense
Gesture of growing like a plant.
As slowly as the ripening fruit
Fertile, detached, and always spent,
Falls but does not exhaust the root,
So all the poem is, can give,
Grows in me to become the song,
Made so and rooted so by love.
Now there is time and Time is young.
O, in this single hour I love
All of myself and do not move.
I, the pursued, who madly ran,
Stand still, stand still, and stop the sun!

May Sarton (1912–1995)