October 2023

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, God may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. – Ephesians 3:16-17

Whenever I start youth group with a “spiritual grounding,” I often get a chuckle out of middle schoolers in particular, one of whom may take the opportunity to respond, “Why are you grounding us? We didn’t do anything wrong!”

Ha! Of course having to be anchored in your home as a consequence so that you can’t go out and have fun with friends outside is a total bummer.

On the other hand, I as a pastor often feel so untethered mentally and spiritually (and physically, according to my gas mileage sheet…) as I’m pulled all over the place, wearing all the many hats pastors do. In the span of one day, I could jump between being an event planner and pseudo-counselor and bookkeeper and leader of an organization and volunteer coordinator and community organizer and room decorator. Amid all this, I yearn for a feeling of a sense of rootedness and grounding — perhaps even feeling a sense of home or home base.

I wonder if all of us in ministry could do for more regular check-ins within our own lives as to what grounds us as we do our work. Let’s call it the “You’re Grounded” inventory. Having awareness of where we can find grounding — and where we have already been grounded —  can help center ourselves, help us connect to the Divine Presence in a regular, habitual way, and move toward being the non-anxious presence we tell ourselves we need to be as someone in ministry.

What do I mean? What could this look like?

What is the story of our roots? Who was there? Who has been part of cultivating your soil throughout your life and journey to be where you are today? Cultivating a sense of gratitude and awareness of your own story and who was there carrying you can help give you the inner strength and meaning to propel you when you feel lost and alone in ministry. I am not just an individual doing what I do now. I am surrounded by the spirits of ancestors who came before me, rooted in the Philippines, a people resilient through colonialism, poverty, and heartbreak, a grandfather who was a Deacon. My parents immigrated here with next to nothing and were able to work hard as nurses to care for us. I am part of their story, and they are a part of mine. They carried me, and I carry their strength as I go about my ministry.

What ground do you walk on… literally? One of the deep, deep wounds of the modern era is how we have been ripped from our relationship with the Land. This is a direct result of the forces of the racist project of white hierarchy our nation participated in that ripped Black people from their land in Africa and ripped indigenous folks from their own land here on where we stand. Among many other sins, this is a direct rebellion against the Genesis 1 relationship of steward and connection with God’s Creation. As a beginning of movement toward healing, I invite you to consider developing a practice of being grounded in the Land you walk on. For me, I start every morning before I walk into the Church office taking a walk around in mindfulness and awareness, noticing the trees, birds, people, plants, concrete and anything else around me. I let my awareness mix in with prayers of intention as well as emptying of my mind, depending on where the Spirit leads that day. There are also more intentional ways to commune with the land, such as a deliberate land meditation walk noticing and expressing gratitude for the land, as well as starting to intentionally dig into your Land story —  who inhabited the land your church is on before you being there (almost certainly indigenous communities driven out), if there were other communities displaced through redlining, gentrification, or other systemic actions, and what that story could be calling you to today.

Who helps you stay grounded amid all the things? It’s helpful for me to be constantly reminded that the people and relationships, and being grateful for their presence, are what ground me when I’m going through stress and hardship and roadblocks in my ministry. I am involved in big community projects in organizing where we come up across opposition and pain and racism and barriers to systemic change. Reaching our larger goals are very important for impacting people’s lives. And. I know that cherishing and not taking for granted the relationships we’ve formed in that struggle, in that organizing, are just as important and get us through it. What would it look like to set aside a moment alone regularly to intentionally name a few people in your ministry whose presence grounds you, and let your body feel that gratitude? Perhaps this isn’t just a solitary activity but seeking more opportunities to intentionally celebrate those people and bask in their presence.

What practices and rhythms nurture my grounding? There are so many ways that ministry is unpredictable, where we venture into the unknown, where we can’t control outcomes or people or pretty much anything. Practices, rituals, habit formation — these are things we have some control over, because they start within us. Before you add to a list of “stuff I should be doing,” maybe you can start with just noticing the practices you already have. Do you take a breath every morning before you open that laptop for emails? Great! Celebrate that! Do you savor that sip of coffee in the morning, or journal for three minutes before bedtime? Celebrate! And maybe that sip of coffee is an opportunity to connect just one short practice to something you already do, like say a one-line prayer or mantra. Also, are their practices or rituals rooted in your culture, family, or other aspects of your story and identity?

This is far from an exhaustive list for a “You’re Grounded” inventory, and I would love communal feedback for growing what could be possible. Perhaps my final invitation is the phrase itself as a sort of mantra, “You’re Grounded.” I always like a little bit of humor amid my spirit talk and telling myself “You’re Grounded” on a regular basis, at the very least, helps me crack a smile when I’m feeling down. What it also does is name what I believe to be true, that amid everything else, I am indeed rooted and grounded in love, that through faith Christ dwells in my heart, and I’m not alone — we’re not alone — as we all try to live into our call in ministry.