For the last 6 months I have struggled with chronic hoarseness. As a parish intern who co-leads worship weekly and engages in many pastoral care visits, this has been difficult. Additionally, not being able to speak much in classes and not talking on the phone with family and friends has been an adjustment. In November, I was diagnosed with nodules on my vocal cords and muscle strain as a result of the nodules. I have been in speech therapy for the last six weeks. My biggest takeaway from speech therapy is the reminder to breathe --- and not just to breathe but to breathe properly; slowly, deeply, from the diaphragm, and often.
The deep breathing, which I now try to practice each time I speak, forces me to slow down and to speak intentionally. The practice of deep breathing enables me to pay close attention when I read scripture, to emphasize pauses between sentences while I preach, and to honor silence that comes between sentences, words, and deep breaths. My breath is a sign of my being alive and it is what helps my voice be unique and clear. The breath work that I am engaged in reminds me of the Hebrew word ruach, which means "breath" or "wind" or "spirit." When I breathe deeply, I invite myself to feel God's Spirit to move through and around me. Ruach dances, stretches, and blows in and around each of us. Sometimes, God's Spirit even stirs us in ways we never imagined. I am grateful for the gift of breath and for God's boundless Spirit who works in and among us. May we each find time to breathe deeply, to create space for God's spirit, and to be aware of how the Spirit might be guiding us.
Below is a copy of a breathing exercise that folks of Ginter Park Presbyterian Church (GPPC) engaged in when I preached and led worship on January 7th:
Breathe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Let Her stir within you.
And breathe out the light that your gifts bring to illuminate our world.
