Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear friend,

I saw an end cap advertisement at Target this week that said “Change everything with a gift.” I do not want to be the Christmas police, and bitterness is not a good look for anyone, but it did give me pause and make me think “there’s only one gift that does that and it is definitely not legos.” On the one hand this kind of marketing makes me sad, it’s shallow to think that an item, even an item you play with as a family, can change much of anything. On the other, that’s some fun wordplay when thinking about what kind of gift it takes to change us, to change the world, to change everything.

The gift of love changes things, in the way that it is in the pattern of God’s self-giving love. Love incarnate changes everything, when Jesus comes to restore creation, reconciling people to God throughout time. The literature I've been reading about Rest this month, and the sessions led at Mosaic about Rest make me think of the kind of care we give ourselves and the ones we care about, but it's not just about care or doing something that is generally good for you. It's about Rest as a recognition that we join in God’s work but ultimately cannot save ourselves or each other.

The drive to work hard, to succeed, to leave your mark, are not bad things, but they so easily can become our identity and our only metric. In our relationship with Jesus we discover that our identity is in his efficacy, not ours. The work we do falls down around us as we discover God’s grace as the gift that changes everything. Building in practices that remind you of this calibration of things, this orientation toward Love Incarnate, keeps us growing in Christ and keeps us in the knowledge of our need for grace.

Seek out a few minutes, even with a timer, to rest in prayer. Silent prayer can lead to contemplation and if you need a verse to hold onto, try something like: “Blessed are you O Lord, giving rest to the weary, renewing the strength of those who are spent.” (BCP 113) or “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). Rest in the knowledge of the love of God, the gift that changes everything.

Faithfully,
Mtr. Taylor