By Jordann McMahan
August is a weird month. As many families round out their summer routines, college students head back to school, and the attention turns away from vacationing to the hustle and bustle of schedules, it can be difficult to be present. Our attention is focused on what will be.
Try not to let today slip past you. The conversations we will have, the songs we will sing, the Scripture we will read can be helpful along the journey. Our minds are often centered on the future. On the other hand, as we age, we start to orient our lives toward the past. We hold dear the memories of people, places and moments that meant so much to us.
It takes intentional courage to sit in the present. Our lives are lived in the ordinary. God works in ordinary people: lowly shepherds, imperfect families and those who worship, work and witness in plain ways on regular days.
During trips with Wilshire’s youth group, Darren talks about how there will never again be this exact group gathered in this place in the same way ever again. The same can be said about a summer Sunday. Our gathering may look different this week from next week, and there is beauty in the mundane — in regularity and consistency — in recognizing the need for community on significant days and on normal ones.
The ancient Greek word kairos points to this concept. It translates to “time,” but a kind of fleeting, opportune, appointed moment. What could change about our perspective if we viewed this “regular” Sunday as an appointed moment along the journey of our lives?
The anthem this morning, “The Impossible Dream,” carries this idea within its message. It takes countless normal days to reach impossible dreams. Faithfully choosing to be present in the moment allows us the space to rest, grow, learn and seek after God with our very lives. What a truly glorious quest it is to pursue calm and peace. It takes courage and can often feel impossible, but God promises to be with us as we go.
So, as you prepare for worship today, take a deep breath. Feel your lungs expand and contract. Smile at a neighbor. Check in with yourself and those around you. These routine practices matter. God is with us. Let us be present with ourselves and with one another.