May 15

Dear Beloved Friends,

Michelle and I recently returned from the Netherlands, where we visited her daughter and our grandchildren. Michelle had arrived a week earlier, and because of my flight schedule, I had to make my way alone by train from the airport to where Michelle’s daughter lives. The rail system there is wide, efficient, and exacting; to arrive where you are meant to go, you must know where you are standing. I boarded the right train from the airport, but in Amsterdam I stepped off too soon, unaware that I had arrived at the wrong station. My phone showed me schedules and platforms, yet I kept searching for a way forward based on where I imagined myself to be rather than where I truly was.

When I realized I was not where I thought I was, fear rose quickly in me. I was in a foreign land, the trains were running less often, and I began to worry that I might be stranded for the night. All I wanted was to reach Michelle, Jackee, and the grandchildren.

Then came the simple wisdom I needed most: if I wanted the right train, I first had to begin from where I actually was. I asked a stranger for assistance, He explained that I could search on my phone for the next available train by simply pushing the button, ‘from where I am.’  I was able to find the right train and arrive at a reasonable time; I had to start from where I was.

 And is that not true for our spiritual journey as well? So often, we want to start from where we wish we were—stronger, calmer, healthier, more certain. But Spirit cannot meet us in an imagined place. Spirit meets us here. Healing begins here. Not where we pretend to be, not where others expect us to be, but here—in the body, in the mind, in the heart, in the soul, exactly as we are. This Sunday, as we reflect on healing, in my message, ‘May we be Well,’ may we remember that the healing journey does not begin in perfection. It begins in honesty. It begins in presence. It begins right here, right now.

Please join the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living for a continuation of our May Series, The Art of Allowing and the topic, "May We be Well.” How does our approach to health shift as we recognize that our body, mind, heart, and soul are connected? If we mindfully pay attention to the subtle signals that our whole selves send us, we can experience optimal health. Rob Ward, RScP, will share a Spiritual Reflection about his healing journey.

Both our service and the youth program are at 10:30 AM

NEW: Pre-service meditation 10 AM
In the Courtyard ‘nook’ or online with Rob Ward. zoom.us/j/2247974039 PW 1234

                    Much Love and Many Blessings,   Rev. Jay Lang