The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God has come near  ~Mark 1:15

Grace and peace to you on this crisp winter day. I pray that you are enjoying the snow, whether sledding, skiing, walking, making snow people or snow angles, or simply delighting in the white flakes mounded on tree limbs. Some of my favorite days as a child were snow days. They were God’s gift of extra space and time to linger, play, and just be.

Earlier today about thirty women gathered at St. Peter’s to reflect on Jesus’ invitation that the  kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of God is this near!

The kingdom of God (the divine spark within) can be crowded out by judgment, fear, anxiety, to-do lists, busyness, and so on. This is so for me. Making space for the kingdom of God within us takes intentional practice.

Parishioner Sharon Shutler who has long led women’s retreats for us shared her wisdom with us today and led the women in practices to make space for the kingdom of God. We practiced breathing, noticing our thoughts and feelings, journaling, and listening. We heard passages by sixteenth century Carmelite Theresa of Ávila, poetry by thirteenth century Sufi mystic Rumi, and the wisdom of twentieth century Trappist monk Thomas Merton.  Ask Sharon about these wise ones!

One phrase from the morning that returns to me is this: “What you practice becomes stronger.”  Want to be more compassionate? Practice compassion. Want to grow in patience. Practice patience. Want to grow in loving kindness. Practice loving kindness.

Sharon invited each of us to identify a guide in our journey. Want to discover the kingdom of God within you? Jesus could be your guide. Soon after proclaiming that the “the kingdom of God has come near” in the gospel of Mark. Jesus calls Simon and Andrew, the first disciples.

Jesus calls you too. “Come, follow me.” It is in following Jesus, practicing the way of love, that we will discover the kingdom of God within.

The kingdom of God is drawing near. It is within you. Imagine that!