After years of doing yoga several hours a week I have never been able to do any arm balance poses. I’ve never even been close. During these postures the teacher always has to pause the entire class as they very calmly try to position my entire and quite ample bottom half over a tiny, slanted shelf of my elbow. My arms shake, my elbows bow in and out in frightening ways as the teacher struggles to keep my hips from slipping. After several attempts over the course of many many classes I decided to declare arm balance time as savasana time, otherwise known as dead man’s pose. The teachers never go this or even when I go into down dog or child’s pose which, by the way, they said I could always return to. I always try to ignore them standing over me, their bare feet directly in my line of sight. They all very calmly tell me the same thing, “just by trying the pose, you get the benefits of it.” I smile and pretend to try until they are distracted by another student.
While I would love to never see another arm balance pose again that phrase has stuck with me. At first, I found that hard to believe. To be able to balance requires muscles in a variety of obscure places as well as ignorance that a mere breeze could cause a nasty face plant and shattered septum. Trying feels ridiculous, dangerous, and even kind of stupid, it’s hard to believe there can be any benefits. I thought about this the other day as the Sunday school students and I were talking about forgiveness. Because I’ve never been very good at it, I kind of stopped trying. Whenever we would get to that part of a service or the LORD’s Prayer I frequently go into a mental type of savasana, skipping over it, glossing over the words entirely. One day while reading through these prayers I could feel God’s presence, bare feet directly in my line of sight. I admitted that I wasn’t good at forgiving and after years of trying, it was something I knew I would never be able to accomplish. As I prayed, I felt that gentle reminder that “just by trying the pose, you get the benefits of it.” I smiled as I do to my yoga teachers and thought of the name of a former creepy boss and waited for God to move on to the next struggling Christian. When God didn’t, I tried to remind God of what a jerk this guy was, he was serious piece of work this guy. My prayers were guided to thinking about why this guy acted the way he did and what he was looking for. I know underneath his laziness, entitlement and inappropriateness he was and is massively insecure. Focusing on just that made the prayers for forgiveness a tiny but more manageable.
Even thinking about forgiving someone will always be a massive struggle and one that feels ridiculous, dangerous, and even kind of stupid. There are many times when, like yoga, it is so painful and uncomfortable I have to simply focus on my breath to get through it. Sometimes I worry that forgiving someone will make me more vulnerable but I know the weight of anger is distributed unevenly and therefore the exact opposite is true. There are days when I pretend to be trying more than I really am, however I know God isn’t going anywhere but is instead over me, encouraging me, knowing that even just trying is good for me.
~ Scouts at St. Edmund’s ~
St. Edmund’s has a great scout troop under the leadership of Sam Gong. We are hoping for more collaboration in the future. Welcome Troop 360!
~ Upcoming Events ~
Sunday, March 3
Team 1 Acolyting
Family Worship
10 am |Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
Youth Group
12 pm
Amara Cafe
55 South Raymond Ave. Pasadena
Please RSVP to Heather by Friday
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March 5
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Please join us for a pancake feast before our Lenten fasting begins! RSVP to Karen at kharrigian@sbcglobal.net or 626-441-0787 so that we may plan accordingly. But if you find yourself in the mood for pancakes at the last minute, please join us anyway. Any proceeds benefit St. Edmund’s Church: $6 for adults and teens, $3 for children 12 and under. If you’d like to help me in the kitchen before or after you have your pancakes, please also let me know. Help would be much appreciated!
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Wednesday, March 6
Ash Wednesday Services
12 noon & 6 p.m.|Chapel
There will be activities for children at both services
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Sunday, March 10
Team 2 Acolyting
Family Worship
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
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Tuesday, March 12
PARTNERSHIP FOR AWARENESS
Like: A Documentary About The Impact Of Social Media On Our Lives
9 am & 7 pm
Huntington Middle School Auditorium
LIKE is an IndieFlix Original documentary that explores the impact of social media on our lives. Technology is a tool, its here to stay and social platforms are a place to connect, share and care, but what’s really happening? Are we addicted? How do we stop? Where do we start? What do we need to know? By understanding the effects of technology and social media on the brain, on our loves and one our civilization we can learn how to navigate it more safely together. 9 am screening will be followed by a Q&A with Larry Wong, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Pasadena. 7 PM screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Joe Dilley, local physiologist and author of The Game is Playing Your Kid: How to Unplug and Reconnect in the Digit Age.
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Sunday, March 17
Team 3 Acolyting
Family Worship
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
SPRING BREAK EVENTS
If you’re not in school this week, join us for tons of fun!
Please RSVP to Heather as soon as possible.
Monday, March 18
Hike to Eaton Canyon Falls
Tuesday, March 19
Dogs! A Science Tail Exhibit and Imax
1 pm | California Science Center
Imax tickets for 3:30 pm
This sells out quickly so please RSVP soon.
They’re cuddly. They’re smart. We treat them like part of the family. From lovable companions to loyal protectors, dogs live and work alongside us. They can rescue us from peril, sniff out danger, or provide help to people in need. Through engaging and fun hands-on exhibits, explore the science behind the bond between humans and dogs. Find out how humans and dogs are both wired for social connection, which made it possible for dogs to nuzzle their way into human society and into our hearts. Discover dogs’ amazing senses and grab the chance to see, hear, smell, and act like a dog. And don’t miss the live demonstrations of work and rescue dogs in action!
Superpower Dogs 3D Imax
Trailer can be viewed here
Join an immersive IMAX adventure to experience the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world’s most amazing dogs.
In this inspiring true story, our best friends are also real-life superheroes. Journey around the globe to meet remarkable dogs who save lives and discover the powerful bond they share with their human partners. Follow ‘Halo’, a rookie puppy training to join one of the most elite disaster response teams in America. Meet ‘Henry’, an avalanche rescue expert in the Canadian Rockies, ‘Reef’, a Newfoundland lifeguard with the Italian coastguard, ‘Ricochet’, a Californian surf legend helping people with special needs, and the Bloodhound brothers, ‘Tipper and Tony’, who are leading the fight to save endangered species in Africa. As we discover the incredible abilities of dogs and the astonishing science behind their superpowers, we’ll never look at our best friends the same way again!
Wednesday, March 20
Matinee of Wonderpark
Click here for trailer
Thursday, March 21
Adventureplex
11 am
Rock wall and general admission: $20 (ages 5+)
Ropes course only: $20 (ages 8+)
Ropes course and general admission: $32 (ages 8+)
Rock wall, ropes course and general admission: $40 (ages 8+)
Groupons are available
Includes two hours of rock wall use, equipment rental and trained staff supervision. All climbers need to have a liability waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance to guarantee space. Drop-ins will be accommodated when space is available.
Friday, March 22
Dave & Busters
Saturday, March 23
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Rothenberg Hall Huntington Gardens
$15 per person
Celebrate your “very merry un-birthday” at a special screening of the 1951 Disney animated classic, Alice in Wonderland. Come dressed in your Mad Hatter best; learn about Mary Blair, the Disney concept artist who designed Alice’s colorful world; and make your own Alice-inspired art before the movie. Suitable for all ages. Children 5 and under are free. Movie screening begins at 7:30 p.m.
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Sunday, March 24
Team 4 Acolyting
Family Worship
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
Please feel free to contact Heather if you have questions.
