At the conclusion of my sermon on Sunday, I said that Jesus' message to Martha and Mary are relevant for us today in that it is time to let worry and distraction about the "many things" fall by the wayside. I also suggested that perhaps we might hear Jesus' words to Martha for ourselves, not as a rebuke, but as an invitation to step off the treadmill of life, even for just a few minutes a day, to savor Jesus' presence in our lives, and to catch a glimpse of that one and only thing needed, which is to know the love of God for you and for all people.

One way that you might seek to rest in Jesus' presence is in the practice of praying the Daily Office which includes Morning, Noon, and Evening Prayer. You can find the liturgy for these prayers in the Book of Common Prayer in the section entitled The Daily Office. One of the ways I've found to be helpful is to listen to an audio version of the prayers. If you are interested, here's the audio link. Another resource for reading the office on your own can be found here.

It would be great to pause three times a day for prayer, however, I realize that most people don't have the bandwidth for that. I would suggest starting with one of the prayers and commit to practicing it for a month. It's a wonderful way to connect with God at the start, mid-point, or end of the day to be grounded in the love of God and to remember that which is vital for life, God's immeasurable love for us made known in the person and work of God's Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Melissa