Growing Together Podcast Episode #1: Rituals and Routines

Welcome to the Growing Together community. I am excited to share these new resources created to help you and your family stay connected to God and each other during this difficult time. 

As we practice social distancing and strive to protect our families and members of our communities many of us are finding ourselves at home. Some of us have kids at home and many of us are working at home. Now more than ever we should be relying on spiritual disciplines- practices that help us connect to God and each other. When we feel afraid God offers us comfort, when we are worried, God offers us peace. Taking time for faith formation in your home will give you an opportunity to be with one another as you listen, share, reflect, and grow.  

So- as we begin to find our new normal I will be producing short invitations every week to help you and your family connect to God and each other in your home. In each podcast episode and blog, I will introduce a spiritual practice for you to try, an action challenge for your family to complete, and a pray to give you words as you do this important work. You can watch, listen to, or read each new addition here at Growing Together UMC. We invite and encourage you to share your experiences on the Growing Together Families facebook page too.

Today, I want to focus on creating ritual in your home- or as I like to say- developing a routine. We know routine is essential to our daily flow- whether at home, at work, or at school- we organize our day by the events, tasks, and opportunities that life presents. If you are a parent you probably know how important routine is to your children. 

My son is almost 11 months old and he is teaching me and his father this important truth. If we can keep to a simple routine of play, sleep, and meals, he is a lot happier and actually sleeps better and appears to feel better too (aka he is less cranky- lol). In our family we have developed a simple routine around bedtime. From the day we brought our son, lovingly called “Thumper,” home we have ended the day with stories (including a story from his Bible), sharing joys and concerns (What are you grateful for? What are you worried about?), prayers, lullaby, blessing and goodnight kisses. This routine gives us something to look forward to, and offers us an opportunity to be together and to talk to God together too. In these moments we are assuring Thumper and each other that God is with us, we are not alone. As we go into the night God is with us. 

As I listen to families and read posts on social media, it is clear that many of us are wondering how we will be able to work from home, help our children continue schoolwork, keep children occupied, and keep our sanity in the midst of it all. Some in my community are already admitting that they are stir crazy after only a few days. In these moments, routine, our daily habits or rituals, offer us a life line. When we map out our days and intentionally plan the time we gain a sense of control to what can feel like chaos. Now- let me be clear- we don’t have complete control as we know- life changes and so flexibility is important, but by naming what is important to us and shaping our day accordingly we find time to do the important work that God calls us to do and that brings us joy.

So- as you settle into your new normal and begin creating routines in your household I invite you to consider, adding a time of prayer to your daily routine. Some of you might already do this- if so- keep it up! Maybe add another opportunity to connect, listen, and pray during the day- maybe as an afternoon break from work, or in the morning as you begin your day together. What is important during these times, is that you are intentional in setting aside time to be together, to listen, to share, and to pray. In times of uncertainty we can become extremely anxious and fearful. This is true for people of all ages. Adding time in your daily routine to take a break, to breath, to connect, and to pray will give you an opportunity to receive the strength, courage, and peace that God promises. Each week I will be back offering you another practice that you can try during the time that you carve out for faith formation in your home. 

I invite you to check out the #growingtogether facebook page too. This is where I encourage you to share moments when you are connecting to God and to those you love. I also have resources to help you in this work at growingtogetherumc.org. 

Come join this community. Rely on God during this time of uncertainty. Lean on each other in times of fear. And in all things may we remember that  we are not alone, God is with us. For this we give thanks!

Invitation to a spiritual practice

Ritual: Identify time every day to connect to God and each other

Action Challenge

Take time together to connect, breath, share, listen, and pray

Prayer

Dear God, as we settle into our new normal we give thanks that you are with us. As we restructure our lives we ask that you guide us in creating a helpful routine that will guide our daily work. Help us find time to connect with you and with each other. Keep us safe. It’s in your holy name we prayer, AMEN