swim the springs

-
The first time I saw it, I jumped in. The day I graduated from College (in December) I jumped in. When I took a youth group on retreat, we went and jumped in. As soon as we could get him there after he was born, we took Eli, and didn't jump in, but did carefully take him for a swim.

The San Marcos River holds a special place in my heart. I began my young adult life on the banks (and between the banks) that river. I've lost count of how many times I've been swimming and canoeing along the San Marcos River from just below the dam (the swimming hole I still think of as the falls at "Pepper's"), and on down the river to Staples. I've been swimming and canoeing those beautiful waters for 18 years now. To go back there is aspiritual  pilgrimage for me; when I teach about baptism, I often remember (and sometimes tell) stories of the San Marcos River.

I've only been swimming in the actual springs, Spring Lake, once. I went snorkeling, and it was amazing. Now, only a limited number of researchers are allowed to swim in the lake on a regular basis, and swimming in the falls below the lake is restricted, too.   ...I found a loop hole.

The Rotary Club of San Marcos is sponsoring a triathlon sprint this weekend, and I'll get to swim 500 meters of the lake. Then bike (14 miles), and run (5 kilometers) nearby. Since moving to Port Aransas, I've been more motivated to take care of my physical health than I have been in some time. It may have started when I exhausted myself trying to paddle a surfboard out into the waves. I realized how unhealthy I was, and I realized there wasn't much excuse.

So, challenged by choice, I started paying closer attention to what I eat and when, and I started exercising in a more intentional way. Lifestyle change ain't easy, and it hasn't been all straight and narrow, but I've taken some important steps toward becoming healthier.

This week, I'll participated in a yoga class that is just beginning in our parish hall. Yoga is body prayer, it is healthy physically, but is is also a healthy spiritual practice; it engages the spirit, the breath. It's a spiritual tradition that remembers the important connection between body, mind, and spirit. An emphasis that is sometimes lost in the Christian world. As Pittman McGehee likes to say, "I've never had a soul walk into my office without a body." Body and soul go together. In the process of getting to know my body once again, I find myself heading back to the San Marcos River, to jump in again.


Thanks to Jim, Justin, and Kevin, for the pictures; Billy for the video!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

plastic: a spiritual perspective

-
Image
Plastic bag in front of Trinity by the Sea On a recent trip to Austin, I was surprised and delighted not to be handed a plastic bag when I checked out of a grocery store. I wasn't buying much, so I was able to carry out my things without remembering to bring in my reusable bags. For some time now, I've gotten in the habit of turning down plastic bags in convenience stores when they try to put my humble bag of sunflower seeds, lonely, in another bag. The plastic grocery bag has become like a handshake at the end of the deal: it seems to make the shopping experience complete. It is such an ingrained habit, that the person behind the cash register sometimes gets a suspicious look when I ask for no bag, as if thinking, "This yahoo is threatening our way of life!" I think about habits a lot, as a Christian of the Episcopal persuasion. Our practices and our experiences in everyday life shape the way we understand our relationship with God, with others, and with ours
Read more
-
Image
For the past three years, I have preached the Gospel Easter Morning including a pop song. The first year it was Widespread Panic's Diner . Last year Prince's I Would Die For You , and this year, the Grateful Dead's Ripple. Music is so inspiring to me, and it is an easy connection to relate to God, Resurrection, and new life through some of my favorite songs, even when they don't use traditional church language. Easter Morning 2023 My earliest impression of the Grateful Dead was as a pre-teen, staying the night at long time friends of my parents and sharing a room with Monroe their son. Earlier in the day Monroe had sent me down a fairly steep hill on his old bike which had no brakes. I managed to stop by veering off the road into the open arms of a magnolia tree. Monroe was so cool. So that night, after having some Neapolitan ice cream we watched MTV. If you remember MTV, you’ll understand how excited he was that a music video of one of his favorite bands, the Grateful
Read more

movin' the tide

-
Image
I recently saw a performance by Shinyribs Russell and heard him tell the background story on his song, " Who Built the Moon ." He told a funny story about a conspiracy theorist's idea the moon was built by someone. I like the song for what it is, never mind the conspiracy. That song went through my head again and again this weekend as the Super Moon rose from the gulf horizon, sailed across the sky, and set over the bay. The moon, "hangin' in the sky, shakin' the oceans, and movin' the tide" has long shaped our human lives. It has helped us mark time, it can guide us in our fishing habits, and it inspires artists, musicians, and fireside philosophers. Life looks different in the moonlight. On Sunday morning, as I finished writing my sermon, I took a break to walk outside to see the Super Moon set, and I caught it hanging in the porch of the church. That night, Laura, Eli, and I went to the beach to watch it rise again. Someone told me it's t
Read more