Our Spiritual Core
Our Spiritual Core
I’m all flannelled up today, because Tuesday’s high will be only a chilly 65 degrees. By next weekend the highs will drop to the 50s. Brrr!
In truth, cold weather is exceedingly rare in Houston. But I have lived elsewhere where frigid temperatures were a threat. In Chicago, where I attended graduate school, the cold was blistering. Even in Roanoke, Virginia, where I served St. John’s Church, I experienced numerous snowfalls of ten inches or more. We lived on the side of Mill Mountain, and in icy weather I had to park my little Honda Element at the bottom of the hill and trudge home on foot.
We are taught that, if caught in frigid weather, the most important thing is to protect one’s core. Surely, one’s fingers and toes risk frostbite, but it is the hypothermia of our core that damages vital organs exposed to cold weather. This is why, in cold weather, we can often be entirely comfortable in an insulated vest that leaves arms exposed. So long as our heart and other vital organs are nourished, nurtured, and protected, we can endure harsh conditions.
Sometimes what is true for the body is equally true for the soul. Though these days I find myself humming in hope the Beatles’ song “Here Comes the Sun,” the fact remains that the existential winter of the pandemic will continue for some time. It has been a long and frigid season. And so the question: Are we protecting our core? Have we surrounded our hearts and souls, nourishing, nurturing, and protecting them against the cold?
Just as when we find ourselves in the physical cold, it is essential to distinguish our core form our periphery, and focus our attention on what is central to our well-being. Frost and bitterness may create pain in our periphery, but that is survivable. It is the heart of us — the image of God that is our soul and source — that is vital and must be tended.
When I think of our periphery, I think of, for example, our society’s addiction to social media and the preoccupation with insult and outrage found there. An obsession with social media is, in these days, like worrying about our pinky toe in sub-zero weather. That very obsession causes us to neglect our core, where we should instead be focused on stoking God’s grace so that it warms and gives life both to us and to the world around us.
For this labor to nourish, nurture, and protect our spiritual core, the Cathedral provides all the necessary gear, and the Gospel is the best insulation. Through the booklet “Making a Home for Faith,” which outlines at-home spiritual practices; through our livestreamed worship services throughout the week; through bible studies and book groups; and through offerings such as our upcoming conference “Racial Reconciliation and the Baptismal Covenant,” we are each invited to envelop our spiritual core in God’s grace.
Beyond this, if you find that in this existential winter you are feeling spiritually exposed to the elements, and you need assistance, please reach out to our Minister for Pastoral Care, Jody Gillit. Jody, our clergy, and our pastoral care lay chaplains stand ready for dispatch to support and sustain you.
The Sun is coming, truly. In the meantime, we can keep one another spiritually and vitally warm. Get vaccinated as soon as you can! Blessings to you this week.
Grace and peace,
The Very Reverend Barkley Thompson,
Dean
Every Member Canvass
If you have yet to make a pledge commitment for 2021 but are planning to financially support Christ Church Cathedral this year, please know that there is still time to make your pledge online, over the phone, or via email. We are so grateful for the continued support of the Cathedral’s mission in the year ahead!
Ways to make your pledge:
- Pledging online is easy.
- Return the pledge card you received by mail to 1117 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002.
- Make a pledge over the phone at 713-590-3338 or by email by contacting Karen Kraycirik, minister for stewardship.
- Go online to make an electronic payment via credit or debit card. You can also set up recurring payments via this form.
- Donate using PayPal via the Cathedral’s website: christchurchcathedral.org/give/
- Text the word “Give” to 888-998-1634
- Send a check to the Cathedral address: 1117 Texas Street, Houston, TX, 77002.
- Make a gift of stock or securities, using our stock donation instructions.
Learn more about this year’s EMC at: christchurchcathedral.org/emc
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