Monday Manna
Practicing Presence...
If you are new to Monday Manna, I’m so glad you are here. My prayer with this little pause on Monday mornings is to offer some nourishment (“manna”) for you — via my reflection, prayer, and painting — as you are nourishing the world around you. Together, we are watching for the ways God is with us and for us as we take one day at a time….
Good morning, friends, and deep peace to you on this Monday morning (or whenever you have a little moment to read)…
I missed last week’s post as our family was traveling for Spring Break. It was a nourishing time away, reminding me how breaks from the regular day-to-day can reinvigorate us to re-enter normal life with some fresh energy, or at least renewed perspective.
Before heading out, though, I had the gift of sharing a meaningful zoom conversation with Pastor and Author MaryAnn McKibben Dana on the topic of “presence.” It’s a practice (and I use that word intentionally) close to my heart, as I still have so far to go in embodying the kind of presence to each moment I want to have. MaryAnn and I focused on how we can be present to the now, rather than continually wondering how we could be more productive. We also touched on how becoming present people — getting grounded in who we are and what we are about — is a way to navigate the current political moment we’re in. As many of us are asking, what do we do?!, getting clear and present to our own calling is a really important place to start.
You may have heard about the book, Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite friar. In this compilation of letters and recorded conversations, he focuses on developing an awareness of God’s presence in the ordinary tasks and moments of our lives.
His book inspired me long ago in my earlier days of this practice. I’ve found that in order to keep growing, I must continually reframe how I understand time (Brother Lawrence was spot-on with this). Time is a resource, to be sure, but it’s become so co-opted by capitalism that we often only speak of it in those terms — how we will “spend” or “use” our time. Scarcity thinking around “losing,” “saving,” or “wasting” it. I fall prey to this regularly, and find myself often in the midst of doing one thing while thinking I should be doing something else. This makes “presence” very difficult when we view time that way, so it was a complete shift when a wise mentor once said to me, “Time isn’t something we use, it’s something we inhabit.”
Caregiving is a large portion of my life’s calling in this season — and has been for some time. I used to think practicing presence meant finding time to be alone and still (or maybe in the bathroom with the door actually shut!!) in order to get grounded. But the Spirit’s helped me realize the people I’m caring for and the tasks I’m doing are practices in presence themselves. In fact, my young children and mom with Alzheimer’s disease have become my best teachers. They don’t try to be productive with time, hold on to time, or think about all the uses for their time. They are just all-in with the moment they have.
I share in the conversation with MaryAnn some little practices and a helpful phrase I use in bringing me back to where my feet are. It’s a continual return process, just like meditation, of recognizing where your mind and heart go, then asking God’s Spirit to shepherd you back. Or rather, to realize you are in God’s presence right here, right now, and have all you need. To find release and freedom in God delighting in you in this moment, not because of what you’re accomplishing, but because you’re together.
Of course, time alone, stillness, and centering prayer are all vital — I try for as much of these as I can — but I believe God meets us where we’re at, in the season we’re in. We can choose to forego more input at times, and let what’s within us have some space to bubble up. Reducing my tech use, shifting away from social media, and having periods of complete sabbath from tech have all been helpful for me personally. I’ve realized I don’t have to be listening to a podcast and learning something while I chop my onions. We are taking in information so much of the time that we sometimes forget to exhale (side note: MaryAnn had good words about the paradox of this for creators like ourselves who also want people to read/listen to our stuff. Truth.)
But we will keep practicing. And in the meantime, I’ll end with a favorite quote of mine from Iain Thomas…
"And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, 'This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!' And each day, it's up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, 'No. This is what's important.”
*If you would like to watch/listen to the recording of this zoom conversation, MaryAnn has generously made it available. Click here to watch by scrolling to the bottom of the post. Also, make sure you follow MaryAnn (click here) and stay tuned for the new book she’ll be blessing the world with (which includes more on this very topic, among other nourishing themes for this time).
A Prayer
The first section of my book, Ash and Starlight: Prayers for the Chaos and Grace of Daily Life, Second Edition, are all “Prayers for Centering,” and this is one of my favorites. It helps me get grounded and present….
When I’m completely scattered
Centering and calming God,
Sometimes my mind is
both everywhere and nowhere at all.
I’m filled with such a mess of tasks,
reminders, and to-do alerts,
all pinging against the walls of my head.
I ask for your peace-giving guidance
to place these thoughts
where they ought to be today.
Every tiny thing in my life
looms seemingly large,
while the assignments,
relationships, and worries
engulf me.
Help me put aside what can wait,
letting what needs my attention
receive action it deserves.
Help me sort this out.
Slow down my breathing,
reminding me when
I’ve been a ball of anxiety before
and you’ve untangled
my life, my worries…
Give me space to remember these things
zipping within are not my life,
but small slices of it—
I’ll take them on as I’m able,
one at a time (with you by my side).
With your holy breath, clear my mind...
With your purifying Spirit, cleanse my soul...
With your gentle presence, calm my heart...
Help me, God, in the confusion or the jumble
to focus on what really, really, matters.
Thank you for the ways you
center me and bring me back to life—
to the real, the important, the true.
May I go about the rest of this day
focused on you and grounded in your peace—
peace deeper than my understanding.
Amen.
Isaiah 26:3 * Matthew 6:33 * Philippians 4:6–7
“Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—
in peace because they trust in you.”
—Isaiah 26:3
Something that nourished me recently…
*Lots of color to come in these photos…we received the gift of a trip to Mexico with my brother’s family, and all the warmth, water, and color was so restorative.
*Another song by Porter’s Gate…We Abide in you…the choir at our church sang this a couple weeks ago when we focused on John 15 — Christ is the vine, we are the branches. I love this reminder to abide, and how that is what presence looks like.
Ash and Starlight, plus other good things…
*SECOND EDITION OF ASH AND STARLIGHT ~ Find the updated edition of my book here at Chalice or at the Amazon link! Also, I am happy to mail personalized bookplate stickers to you. :)
*MONDAY MANNA ARCHIVES ~ You can view previous Substack Monday Manna reflections as a paid subscriber here, or for the really old stuff, go to my website.
*WHAT DOES MANNA MEAN? ~ Check out an earlier post to learn how this little bit of “daily bread” got its name…
*MENTAL HEALTH FAIR ~ Our nervous systems are managing sooooo much right now, friends. My partner, Jeff, organized a non-sectarian community mental health fair held at our church this past weekend on “Navigating the Anxious Generation: How we can empower our kids.” It had an incredible panel, and I encourage you to watch the replay here.
Being present is becoming my new understanding of what “praying without ceasing” means. Many things will clamor for your attention today (and tomorrow, and…). When they do, put your hand on your heart, remember what’s important, and that God is with (and in) you.
Love and Light,
Arianne
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