"In the relentless busyness of modern life, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest." ~ Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest.
This blog is dedicated to re-establishing the rhythm of rest in our busy lives. Wayne's book deserves a read. He brings many insights into the tradition of the Sabbath and how it can refresh and revitalize us. We need permission to rest, and that's what Sabbath is all about. Stop doing, start being and relax.
As I work through my list of “things to do before I leave on sabbatical” I’m reminded of the section of Lynne Baab’s book, Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest, where she describes preparations made by Orthodox Jews in anticipation of sundown on Friday: cleaning, shopping, cooking, showering and dressing for the evening meal when candles are lit to welcome the Sabbath. We prepare for sabbath time so that we can be a free as possible to be still and open to encountering God. I found the following in the newsletter of St. Lawrence, Libertyville in the Diocese of Chicago, where I served prior to coming to St. Peter’s ten years ago. It expresses some of what I long for, some of what I pray for as I enter by extended sabbath time. “May the Wind of God drive away impurity and bring fresh and vigorous possibility to your soul. May the freeing Spirit unbind those places within held captive by hopelessness, anxious thoughts and internal discord. And, may you find a middle place of awareness, between the blowing and the stillness, to feel and watch the movement from old to new.”
ReplyDeleteAmen,
ReplyDeleteGlad you found your way to the blog. I'm on break this week in Montana and deeply in need of the sabattical dynamic. I've dedicated this next week to rest and reflection through being with family, fishing and skiing. What a delight.