Carnival of Soul

Some years ago in the first church I pastored, a tall, athletic 60-year-old member named Bill would periodically take me aside and confess that he wouldn’t be attending services the next Sunday because “I’ll be worshiping at the cathedral of the mountains.”

Of course I knew what that meant. Bill was going skiing and snowboarding. His “cathedral” was all of creation, and its music was the joy that he felt careening down the slopes.

I think Bill had the right idea, and we could all learn from it. As we enter these precious days of summer, we should take the time to find our own “cathedral” — our special place that connects us with our spiritual core, no matter what our faith path may be, or if we follow a path at all.

I believe that spiritual renewal is vital to our well-being. We should not feel guilty about finding new energy to recharge the spirits we may have been neglecting.

Over the last decade, I’ve noticed we Americans have developed a bad case of “work-ism” — becoming obsessed with laboring longer and more intensely, often into the weekend (as do our high school-age children). It used to be that we worked harder in order to have more leisure time. But no more. Today it seems we are always working to get ahead.

In addition, while our commute to work may be the same distance, it takes much longer given the New England area’s increase in people and traffic. Since 1980, commuting time has increased by 15 percent. If your one-way commute lasts 26 minutes (that’s average), that means you’re spending nine days out of your year just getting to work. How does this help your spirit?

No wonder people prioritize how they’ll spend their precious few hours of free time on the weekend. I can tell you that your priest, minister, rabbi or imam — if you have one — is acutely aware of this dilemma.

Faith leaders realize that since our culture no longer assumes people will be attending worship on the weekends, it’s easier to choose “not worship” in favor of something “fun,” provided you already assume worship is boring. (And if so, when was the last time you attended a worship service?)

I believe it is possible to find real spiritual joy in worship. I believe that connecting with your soul while in your house of worship ought to be fun, ought to be fulfilling. If not, share your impressions with your clergy person to effect change.

Also, connecting spiritually doesn’t have to take place just on the weekend. More and more clergy are “taking it on the road” during the weekdays, inviting people to stop by a pub or a diner, and just sit and discuss what’s on their mind.

Because of this need, First Congregational Church Danbury in 2018 initiated a “Faith and Foam” meet-up, beginning at 6 p.m. on alternate Monday nights, at Three Brothers Diner. They have been kind enough to let us use their community room.

There’s no heavy theology, and anyone can come — people of any faith path or no faith path. It’s been amazing to see the ways that our common experiences, our doubts and our beliefs intersect and energize us. Just people together, enjoying a burger or a beer or an iced tea, talking about what’s most on their minds at the moment.

Finally, you and your house of worship might want to go out together and find that “cathedral” that nature offers you. Our congregation routinely goes on field trips to see the bald eagles, to watch the swallow migrations or visit an art museum. At First Church we’ve also invited the public to join us when we’ve had visits from a live timber wolf or a rehabilitated hawk and eagle, or to come in and take pumpkin carving lessons from a pro.

I believe we need time to replenish the core of our spirits, and we find it most often in God’s creations, which includes one another. Here’s to you finding your “cathedral” this summer.

Rev. Pat Kriss is pastor of the First Congregational Church Danbury. She can be reached at patkriss@aol.com or 203-744-6177.