Liturgy 1
We are created to love and worship God vs.
We live for our own fulfillment
Reflection by Kelsey Simmons

How does the counter liturgy appear in your own life or surroundings?

Social media certainly leads me to think and act in a self-centered manner. I see my friends and people I’ve never met having fun and unique experiences. I find myself wondering why I am not also having these experiences and I begin to think of ways to create a life for myself that resembles the lives of other people. When I think this way, I am losing sight of all the wonderful experiences and people I already have in my own life. Social media often leads me to desire personal satisfaction, rather than cultivate and support relationships within my community, with myself, and with God.

What habits or practices have most helped you to resist the counter-liturgy and live out the truth of the liturgy?

A habit that has really helped me to resist living for my own fulfillment is journaling. Journaling allows me to capture all of my thoughts down on paper so that I can then reflect on them. Being able to visualize my thoughts and feelings helps me to appreciate all that God has done for me and those I love. Journaling pulls me away from my phone and everyday distractions to step into an environment where I can focus on worshiping God, asking for His help, and overall building my relationship with Him and myself.

What is something you started doing at Au Sable that you’ve carried with you into your life back home? How is that shaping you?

One Friday after classes at Au Sable I felt called to take a walk into the woods and find a space to sit and speak out loud and have a conversation with God. Whether it was for ten minutes before dinner or an hour or more in our free time, taking the time to have these conversations with God strengthened my relationship with Him. It also taught me the joy that comes from spending this time to build relationships and enjoy nature, rather than sitting on my phone or worrying about unnecessary things. I have carried this practice into my everyday life and it has made the world of a difference. My ability to formulate and manage my thoughts and feelings and communicate with others is stronger than it ever was before. Since beginning this practice, my strongest desire in everyday life is to have meaningful conversations with others, get to know them and share the love that God has filled me with, with them.

How has your life of worship and understanding of God shifted as a result of practicing this liturgy?

With all of the distractions available every day, I have to consciously choose to spend my time in a way that reminds me who is at the center of it all. I used to become very overwhelmed with all of the different options and paths there are to take in life. When I began to put God at the center of my life and do all things for Him, everything else fell into place. At Au Sable, God's presence is felt everywhere, for He is truly at the center of all we do in our classes, at our meals, in our interactions with staff and students, in our work on Mae’s garden, and in the greenhouse. Even, especially, in our seemingly simple walks around campus.