The lilacs are blooming in northern Germany, where I live. They seem to burst forth overnight on their leafy branches, hundreds of tiny exploding buds releasing a sweet, heady scent. And they seem to be everywhere.

Taking the advice of our Saarbrücken retreat speaker last month, Fred Wooden, I meander more slowly and practice the pilgrim’s intentionality as I “get small” and focus in on these wondrous flowers. My mom’s absolute favorite, I recall, as I notice how they seem to reach for the heavens and gently drape themselves around the spring breezes.

Perhaps it is the energy I got from fellowship with so many of you at the retreat – from hugs, shared experiences, singing, and absorbing inspiration from Rev. Wooden – perhaps it’s the arrival of longer, warmer days at last – perhaps all of that, and the lilacs, and more – that is buoying my spirit and quieting my mind.

Suffice it to say, something has shifted and is helping me remember that joy is not a luxury – it is a practice. To quote the Rev. Chris from the Church of the Larger Fellowship March newsletter:

“In a world heavy with pain and injustice, joy is a flash of resistance, a holy spark that keeps us tethered to hope. It shows up in small things: laughter shared with a beloved, a moment of ease, the rhythm of a favorite hymn. Joy doesn’t mean forgetting what’s broken; it means remembering what’s beautiful. It reminds us we are alive, connected, and capable of delight even as we fight for liberation. So find your joy today. Let it nourish your soul. And then share it, because joy multiplies in community.”

Wherever these spring days find you, I hope you are able to find and share some joy each day. I hope you rest when you need to rest. I hope you remember the choir sustains beautiful notes because it sings in community, each voice lifted when it can and each set of lungs breathing when they need to breathe.

And I hope to continue to connect with you in community through our online activities such as the upcoming event with Adam Slate on June 4th, our communications, and in person at our Cologne retreat on Sept. 12-13-14, when the Rev. Diane Rollert will guide us from “Angst to Agency” as we come together in fellowship again. Registration will open soon!

Bonnie, in service to EUU as your president