Nebraska Synod ELCA

by Rev. Juliet Focken

In the movie Elf, Buddy walks into a NYC diner and proclaims, “You did it! Congratulations!  World’s best cup of coffee!  Great job, everybody!  It’s great to meet you.”

As odd as it sounds, this quote inspired my Advent devotional practice this year.  I love waking up and making the perfect hot cup of coffee.  I feel that it is a great pleasure we have in our world.  Conversely, I’m a mom of a school-aged child, so I often make the coffee then remember that I need to pay for science club, and that there are socks in the dryer, and that the dishes need to be loaded so they aren’t in the sink all day… by the time I get to my coffee it is cold.  I don’t enjoy cold coffee, which makes me angry because I have missed the prime time for that moment.  So now, each day, I make my perfect cup of coffee, sit in my favorite chair, and give thanks for everything around me.  My rule is that I cannot rush and must sit there giving thanks until the cup of coffee is gone.  We all know that it changes our brain chemistry when we intentionally start with gratitude. How have you found little ways to add gratitude to this season?

As we sit comfortably in the Advent season, we proclaim that Immanuel means “God with us,” and then we get so wrapped up in the season that we forget to be in the moment.  Isn’t this amazing that the God that created the world and brought light into being also has the time to be with you in these moments of Advent?  Are you being present with God, or are you just getting through?

If you can, it’s time to take a breath and set aside time for yourself and thanksgiving.  If you can’t, I urge you to think about why.  Are you doing too much to prove that you’re worthy of leading through this season?  Have you not surrounded yourself with other Christians who can help?  What if instead of looking at what we haven’t done, we look at what we have done?  Just like the coffee shop in the movie, we are one of hundreds of places doing what we do in the best way we know how, so how do we take moments to celebrate it?

This might not be the time to take on a new meditative practice, but it is a time to take a breath and look around at what we are creating.  We create a place to worship, a space for family, and a place in which all people are welcome to be themselves.  Isn’t that the best we can do?  What if this “cup of coffee” is the best we can create?  How do we take a moment to recognize it?

Conversely, this may not be a time to start a new meditative practice, but January is right around the corner.  We all know the statistics for clergy (deacon and pastor alike), and unless we intentionally take steps to be well, we are taking steps toward burnout.  As we look forward to those 40 days and the Resurrection, what steps are you taking?  Are you running towards burnout, or are you walking towards self-care?

One benefit of the pandemic is that telehealth counseling and therapy are now a simple reality.  If you aren’t already in counseling, could you set a reminder on your phone to call and have a consultation in January?  Before we know it we will be walking towards another busy season of Lent, and this January is a lovely time to start some new healthy practices.

Be well, Juliet

Juliet Focken is an ordained minister and a student counselor at Radiant Counseling, focusing on everyday life and religious trauma.  She works with both clergy and laity, helping them radiate Imago Dei.  Radiant Counseling provides services in English and Spanish, in person in the Omaha area and via telehealth for the rest of the state of Nebraska.