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Whether you’re active with your Christian faith or have no Christian faith, do you ever feel your spirit (or soul) is stuck? Burned out? Indifferent? Hard?
Jesus put it this way – Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
The past few days this was our focus through Soul Care Week 2023. Please applaud Melinda Carlson (Director of Christian Life/Theology) and Ashley Nock (Theology) who created a week for our students full of rich and historic spiritual practices designed to help students:
· Connect with the source of life – God
· Integrate mind, body, and heart
· Trust and release what they’re not meant to carry
· Savor the beauty and the Giver of all good things
· Know they are loved by God
· Experience transformation
Students were able to choose four spiritual practices from a list of seven which included: Art Reflection, Lament/Praise, Noticing Nature, Service Letters, Silence and Solitude, Visual Reflection, and Yoga/Christian Meditation. Each of these practices used a passage of Holy Scripture to frame the practice.
So let’s go back to my first question. Whether you’re active with your Christian faith or have no Christian faith, do you ever feel your spirit (or soul) is stuck? Burned out? Indifferent? Hard?
I have two ideas for you.
First, at a time when that was true for me, a little book called Sacred Pathways was a huge help. The author reminded me that similar to what we’re doing with Soul Care Week, there are many ‘pathways’ which allow us to grow close to God (and to His son, Jesus). Second, reach out to Melinda Carlson, our Director of Christian Life (mcarlson@vchsweb.org). She is here for students, parents, and all members of the VCHS family, especially to walk alongside them on their spiritual journeys.
If you’re stuck, burned out, indifferent, hard, or anything else, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we sometimes make it. Turn to Jesus, who simply said, ‘Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life…and learn to live freely and lightly.’
Steve O'Neil
Head of School
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