Today’s reflection is a reminder to all of us that we are not alone but together in this work of caring for our residents. And while it sometimes seem that we are made to bear this burden alone, especially as more and more people in the country begin to slough off precautionary responsibility, that thought, that lonely thought is not reality. You are in good company. I am in good company, “helping each other to make it through.” And many more besides who are carrying this with us: “singing with love and the will to trust.” May this song be an oasis of encouragement and refresh you at the start of this day.

One Voice
By The Wailin’ Jennys

This is the sound of one voice
One spirit, one voice
The sound of one who makes a choice
This is the sound of one voice

This is the sound of voices two
The sound of me singing with you
Helping each other to make it through
This is the sound of voices two

This is the sound of voices three
Singing together in harmony
Surrendering to the mystery
This is the sound of voices three

This is the sound of all of us
Singing with love and the will to trust
Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust
This is the sound of all of us

This is the sound of one voice
One people, one voice
A song for every one of us
This is the sound of one voice
This is the sound of one voice

As we listen to Lee’s advice to stay hydrated in these hot and humid days, we invite you also to listen to the still small voice of compassion in you that says, “easy does it.”

In crisis some of us are prone to over-function and this serves us well in healthcare, until we are running on fumes and have long gotten used to the warning lights on our dashboard telling us to take some time for respite. This caring in the midst of a sustained crisis is a marathon, or a series of marathons. And pacing and flexibility, caring for our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our spirits, is key to endurance and recovering well as individuals and as a community.

So we echo Lee’s words about hydration, and also encourage that you remember that rest is an integral part of work, not just the collapsing at the end of the day, but the breaks, the breaths, the moment to calm yourself after something that shakes you.

The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber this past Sunday offered a down to earth prayer for our times and this morning we wanted to share it with you paired with the photo she uses in her blog entry.

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28-30

The Global Ageing Network is encouraging us to remember all the elders who have died in this pandemic, today, July 9^th.

Please stop by the chapel to light a candle in remembrance of all the elders we have lost. If you are unable to come to the chapel, email or call the Spiritual Care & Education Department and we will light one for you.

May all be at peace.

Blessings on your day-

Michelle

I don’t know about you but I want to be by the ocean (especially on a day like today or yesterday or the day before).

This is a video I took from Acadia National Park in Maine last May and it is paired with Joel’s gorgeous voice singing “The Water is Wide”.

The water is wide before us and we don’t know what storms are coming ahead of us but we can get across together.

Peace and may you be the Peace you hope for the world.

Rev. Michelle DeCoste

Good morning everyone & happy Tuesday,

Thank you for all of you are doing, I want to invite you to take a few moments to read today’s reflection.

Let us pause for a moment to breathe. Letting go of the days of this week already past and for the time being letting go of the thoughts of tasks to do and people to see today and in the days to come. I invite you into this moment now, to notice your breath and your pulse and let that be enough for the moment.

We are collectively and individually feeling a lot right now. Our pain, our loved ones’ pain, our residents’ pain, our nation and world’s pain. May you be reminded that the ache we feel comes from the love that we’ve dared to continue to offer into the world and may this blessing from Jan Richardson remind you that it will be love that will bring us through this. 

Blessing for the Brokenhearted

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
—Henry David Thoreau

Let us agree
for now
that we will not say
the breaking
makes us stronger
or that it is better
to have this pain
than to have done
without this love.

I think this might be a good prayer for the front of our refrigerators at home. Print out for yourself!

For Our Time Off  – Adapted from n. Reynolds

Let us take rest from Zooming.

Let us leave our inboxes sacredly full.

Let us step away from the noises of keyboard clicks, resident needs, and the push and pulls of work demands and step into the backyard to feel the raindrops instead.

Let us be about our own needs and cares for a time.

Let us hear the sparrow song, Instead of the work phone ring.

Let us stand in front of a picture of our loved ones near and far, Unmasked, ungloved and bare our love and concern for them.

Let us be lifted by joyous table games of scrabble, dominoes and cards.

For this “off” time, let us all have a monopoly of laughter together.

Let us remember the sun will rise in the morning.

Let us know it is ok for us not to rise with it, and instead feel the soft weight of our blankets and pillows in the morning.

Let us find time for our own feelings of pain, sadness and overwhelm.

Let us take joy in how deeply we care for others, and rejoice in giving ourselves this same care.

For this time away from work, let us recognize the power of our “being” amidst all we are doing.

Let us together take a deep breath of gratefulness for our hearts and hands that hold the power of healing.

Let us take care to not lose sight of our own living and worth apart from our work.

May you find some peace in the times here at work and away from work.

Blessings,

Michelle

We were able to capture video of our Earth Day remembrance in Elm Court this past Wednesday. If you weren’t able to be with us, take some time to watch here. We will be planting the cherry tree in Elm Court this afternoon, Friday, April 24, at 2:30 pm. If you would like to join us for the tree planting you can email Joel for the Zoom meeting information. Happy Earth Day and now Happy Arbor Day to you.

Due to a technological glitch our services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday were not posted on our HHH website. We are posting them there now and hope that if you were not able to share in the live broadcast version of the services on channel 919, then you can enjoy them there. We have also linked to them here on our Spiritucal Care and Education Department blog. And you can watch them using the links below.

We are a people of faith, a people of hope and we continue to let love and peace by our guide in this challenging time. Happy Easter to you and all your loved ones.

April 9: Maundy Thursday Service is a tradition Tenebrae celebration with Taize music and produced by Rev. Michelle DeCoste. Several of our local clergy from Concord joined with us to share the readings.

April 10: Good Friday Service was produced by Rev. Joel Eaton and is a reflective experience of music and art to contemplate the death of Jesus.

April 12: Easter Sunday was produced by Rev. Joel Eaton. During this time of pandemic, fear is a constant presence in our communities and in our hearts. It can feel difficult to proclaim the resurrection in anxious and uncertain times like these. You are invited to watch this service and join in affirming the tenacity of life and love in the midst of fear and destructive forces – as together we acclaim the Easter hope, sing resurrection songs, pray to the God who is Love, and listen again to the good news of the empty tomb.

Take a moment to listen to today’s meditation with the Rev. Michelle DeCoste.