Rev. Cathy Harrington
We will be focusing on the theme of Balance this month in our small groups and our Sunday morning worship services. Stabilize, harmonize, attune, redeem, steady, and square are just a few synonyms for the word balance. Someone once said, “the key to keeping your balance is knowing where you lost it.” I’m still pondering that one. But balance isn’t just about just about having a life of peace and calm all the time. No one in their right mind would have children if peace and calm was the goal in life.
The Soul Matters small group packet reminds us that the religious holidays in March point to the many meanings of balance. –Lent honors the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert preparing for his ministry that led to the cross. He didn’t retreat to the desert to escape his calling, he went to steady himself and find his center because he knew that his ministry would stir up a storm. –Passover is the time to remember, to pause and retell the ancient story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt after centuries of slavery. It’s a time to reconnect and align our values with the way we live our lives. –Ostara is the Pagan celebration of the Vernal Equinox, paying tribute to the balance of day and night as the seasons shift and the earth awakens from its slumber. Like the rhythms of the seasons, our own lives will shift and turn, rest and awaken. –Holi is the Hindu holiday that refreshes and inspires us to trust life’s goodness again.
E.B. White captured the challenge of finding one’s balance when he wrote, “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” There are so many ways we can improve the world that it can be overwhelming. Where to begin?
Begin, I think, with acknowledging that we need to remember where we “lost” our balance. Does your center need realignment? We all have different ways to find our center, but society has taught us to be productive and “going to the desert” to steady ourselves can be seen as selfish or frivolous. This month you will have several opportunities to redeem, harmonize, and stabilize at UUCC. The Seder Supper will be on March 30th and it’s not too early to sign up. Our amazing youth will join Sandy Kurtz to honor our commitment to a sustainable environment and the Vernal Equinox. Each Sunday in March will be a time to rest and realign your center in the safety of beloved community.
A favorite quote about balance comes from William Arthur Ward, “A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” In other words—lighten up! Join us as we work towards finding balance, creating a better world, and cultivating joy.
In faith,
Cathy