There's no such things as too many books - just not enough bookcases! Said one minister to another...
Except that sometimes, there are too many books and sometimes there is just too much stuff. Some of us have a great tendency to gather and to hoard. We keep things just in case they might prove useful. We keep things because they carry sentimental value. We keep things because we don't know how to dispose of them. We keep things because we never seem to have the time to get rid of them. We keep things because we get used to the clutter. (Like popping something on the bottom stair of the staircase planning to take it upstairs the next time you go only for it to begin living in its new spot).
In the Presbytery office we've accumulated all kinds of stuff - including lots of IT equipment. And the time has come for a bit of a clear out.
Decluttering can be very therapeutic, especially if we are able to repurpose items, to give them a new lease of life, to find them a new home, in which they will be used.
But it takes time and energy. You have to be intentional about it.
We can also have a tendency to allow our inner lives to become cluttered. We can carry with us things of the past, not knowing quite how to move on from them or simply allowing them to take root. This can mean we have less space for new things and a reduced capacity to live life fully.
What is the spiritual equivalent of decluttering?
How can we be intentional about it?
One of the themes arising out of the ongoing work into reviewing pastoral care is the importance of everyone taking steps to keep themselves healthy. And I think one of the ways of doing this is ensuring we take time to review what we are hoarding inwardly and to work out what we need to let go of.
In the future, we hope to be able to do more signposting on this topic, but if you would like to get some help now, why not check out Ascend, from the Church of Scotland. There you will find a wealth of insight on spiritual practices and plenty of information about what support is currently available.
Rev Stella
