The View From Here

by Rev. Cynthia Riggin, Minister of Congregational Life

“Right Here, Right Now” was the Christian Mindfulness retreat I attended this past week in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. It was glorious, restorative, and transformative to immerse myself in spiritual practices, nourishing community, and collective effervescence. The Pacific Ocean was majestic and powerful. Standing on the ever-changing edge of the sea and surf, gazing out into the horizon that felt endless, was healing and grounding. Thank you church, both for this time away and for your ongoing commitment as one of your ministers to my wholeness and well being. What lingers with me is the wisdom shared by both of the retreat facilitators, Dr. Amy Oden and Dr. Marcia McFee, of the necessity of leaders being well. Leaders tending to our well being. And yet we know church, don’t we, this wisdom is for all of us. The need in these days in which we live, to tend to our need for rest and renewal. To build our capacity for resilience and rootedness. Continuing to stretch and grow in our own spiritual practices and journeys. I’m thankful MPUC is such a community.

I offer this poem by John Roedel for your spiritual nourishment. Here’s to sharing our painful and hopeful stories around the campfire circle today, taking turns listening to each other, trusting we are held in God’s abiding, loving presence.

For those who came to Earth to win and compete will be terribly disappointed

when they find out

that life isn’t the Olympics

it’s a gathering place

my love,

when we die we don’t get

handed a bunch of trophies

by angels wearing stopwatches

there is no medal ceremony

in the hereafter

there is just a campfire circle

where we make s’mores and

share our stories from Earth

the only game we play in

the afterlife is the one

where we take turns 

listening to each other

  -and everyone always wins.