My First Ritual

I just finished my first hour of Sabbath as part of the Discernment Team. I followed the ritual without worrying about any particular order except what felt right. As soon as I set the timer for one hour and sat down to light the candle I was nearly moved to tears. Why? I am not sure. Maybe because of all the build up to this sacred time. Heck, I had to fly to Regina to prepare! Maybe because I felt united to 13 other people across Canada. Maybe because this is the kind of intentional time with God I have been craving for years in my life and ministry.

I read all the scripture passages that the team has been reflecting on . I enjoyed just reading those stories without the pressure of gleaning a program or lesson from them. They seemed to speak to me more clearly this way.

On the blog, a team member wrote "What am I longing for?" This is precisely the question that emerged from my soul while at Taize a few weeks ago. I wrote this question out in my journal in big sprawling letters. It came from a place of deep frustration with myself, with life and with God.

I have demanded the Holy Spirit help answer this questions for me. Luke 11:13 gives me hope that God will provide me with an answer.

Rick Gunn

Do Not Worry...

Friends, be not dismayed if you have just started your sabbath practice. I must admit, this is my first week - so there I have publicly confessed to the world that I am just getting myself together, but this quote is in the front of my journal.

YOU can spend so much time fretting about the pst
And things that cannot be changed,
And worrying about the future
And things which may never happen,
That you lose the joy and fullness of the NOW!

The hardest part was actually starting, and once I started the time flew by, lighting the candle was a big step to marking the time. I actually thought I might fall asleep during my hour of sabbath time, but what ended up happening was I went back and read the scriptures from the weeks previously, and ended up thinking and journalling on them. My partner was making dinner in the other room, and he gave me space to do my hour of time, and even put up with my singing out loud. I did have a powerful experience, that as I was reading about Creation - I looked out of my window, and on what had been a very gray day in Naramata, BC - the clouds parted and the sun came out in just a small part - it was as if at that moment in time I was supposed to be just hangin' out with God, it felt like God saying - "It is Good". And so, I will continue, heading Karen's suggestion to plan ahead to do the Sabbath practice, and to write the names of those I am praying for on small rocks to carry with me to help me focus my prayer. Something deep within tells me amidst the noise an choices of life, we were made to do two things daily - exercise and worship/be intentional with God/pray - this practice is helping heed that call, and I hope that it will provide some room to "not worry". maya

Longings, learnings, and reality.

So, I've managed to do the ritual for 4 weeks in a row, though I've never managed to do it on the same day of the week, but I've come to the realization that it doesn't really matter. Here is what I've discovered so far:

• It helps to prepare for the ritual the day before you actually do the ritual.
• It helps to tell someone when you will be doing it, so you can't back out!
• The ritual has made a difference in my life already!
• I'm not procrastinating as much.
• I am more aware of my surroundings.
• I have trusted my intuition more, which has created more meaningful opportunities in my ministry at the church.
• I have had many rich connections with friends and families, and it brings me joy.
• Every time I do the ritual, I'm surprised at the messages I receive from the scriptures, and how timely they are with what is happening that week.
• I'm grateful to have an hour a week when no one interrupts me.
• Everyone has been really respectful of this time, and when people have walked in during this time, they quietly leave as soon as they realize what I'm doing.
• It has helped me to prioritize my life.

Two weeks ago during my ritual I asked myself the following question: What am I longing for, and thirsting for? Here is a portion of my response:

"I've been longing for the people in our group to get started on the weekly ritual. I want to hear their stories and their struggles, and I want to share my own. I did more cleaning this week, and I believe that my work has been more focused. I definitely feasted this week with both family and friends, I rested and slept in one day. I also spent more time outside...Now that I think about it, what I thirst and hunger for during this Sabbath time is an hour where I have time to reflect with no interruptions. I think this hour has allowed me to regroup, and it also reminds me to ask the harder questions or myself and others."

Marva J. Dawn, who wrote Keeping the Sabbath Wholly believes that keeping the sabbath requires us to engage in the following four acts: ceasing, resting, embracing, and feasting. She believes that "If we were more deliberate about our lifestyles, we might be more conscious ourselves of God's grace, of who we are as God's people, and of how discipleship involves careful choices. Paying such close attention to living a truly Christian lifestyle would give better witness to the world." p. 109

I believe that I have been more deliberate and more intentional because I have engaged in the practice of sabbath. I have made more room for God to work in my life, and it is delightful! Don't get me wrong it is still a struggle. It turns out that I don't like being told which scriptures to read. Who knew? I think I have some control issues. To be honest, reading the suggested scriptures doesn't allow me to stay in my comfort zone. So I laughed when I read this weeks suggested scripture Luke 12: 22-34. It started with the message "Don't Worry!" and ended with "Don't be afraid." Powerful words that I'm not quite prepared to comment on yet. Maybe next time.

Those are my thoughts for now friends.

Karen

Is the rest of the world joining us?

In the online edition of today's Toronto Star, there is an article about how work is taking over our lives 24/7, and some strategies to prevent that from happening! While this doesn't strictly relate to Sabbath in our specific context, it is definitely a call for people to have more balance in their lives, which is part of what Sabbath strives to do. Check out the article here.

The Weekly Sabbath Ritual

For those of you who want to join us in the Sabbath Ritual, here is what we are doing.

We invite you to create a sacred space for yourself and place important symbols around you.

• We begin by lighting a candle in a space where you are comfortable.
• Prayer of Three Breaths
• Read the Prayer from the Call to Purpose
  God of all creation,
  We offer you our thanksgiving for a time rich with connections,
  Among each other and with you.
  We thank you for moments when we have experienced what it is to be united
  Even in our differences.
  Help us to grow as a listening, discerning, learning people.
  Help us to give up patterns and structures that enslave us and others.
  Help us to acknowledge our fear
  And lean into your hope and your courage.
  Help us to grow in our trust in each other and in your Spirit.
  Fill us with your grace and with your wisdom,
  With your patience and with your love.
  Propel us into your future,
  Rooted in the richness of our past.
  In Christ we pray.
  Amen.
• Individual contemplation: Praying for one another, mandala, finger labyrinth, praying in colour, listen to music, sing.
• Read the scripture that has been suggested for the week, and reflect on it.
• You may want to journal, or meditate or pray on the scripture.
• Extinguish the flame and say the following benediction
  
  Let us carry this Sabbath space with us,
  Offering our changed selves to the world and the Spirit’s call. Amen.

We suggest that you take an hour for this ritual, feel free to make it your own. Happy Sabbath!

Peace, Karen

Nehemiah 8: 8-12

I invite you to reflect on the following scripture as a way to focus on sabbath practice this week. While the passage specifically relates to the Festival of Booths as a holiday in celebration of the returned exiles and rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, the intent of sabbath is evident...

8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10 Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve."

12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

Wilderness Survival Kit - Hebrew Style!

Here is my journal entry from a reflection on Exodus 16, if you haven’t read it I would suggest reading it before you continue, but go ahead if you can’t control your desire for theological reflections.

It seems to me that the Israelites are beginning to learn the fundamentals of community survival in the wilderness. They are nomadic at this point and as they begin their journey, this is the first bit of wisdom they gather about who they are and what is required to survive, while holding a vision of liberated humanity.

The rhythm of collection/work, with intermittent rest, is seemingly offered by the earth itself; those who go out to gather on the 7th day, contrary to instructions, actually find nothing. I am reminded of the way that we can exhaust the resources around us, especially if we store up and still go out for more. The earth has a rhythm and a limited capacity for production. Thus we learn Sabbath from the earth, which lives in sacred rhythm and balance.

Everything the Israelites learned in the wilderness is fascinating to me because they are homeless, thus their communal values, the values which are also expressed in The Big 10 soon to come, are not based upon any concept of property or ownership. Thus, what they are held to in this covenant with Moses is wisdom they discerned in their homelessness and wilderness roots.

This wisdom taught lightness upon the earth, sharing abundance, and it was a wisdom that knew the non-sustainability and eventual ruin of accumulation and greed. All these lessons were held up again and again by the prophets to the coming centralized nation-state, which had forgotten the wisdom of homelessness, and the interdependence of the entire community.

And now, if we read these ancient words, if we listen for their truth, if we sift through the theistic, patriarchal, Judeo-Christian narrative, we might find the beginnings of an alternative society with an economy of enough for all! I think we will also find a people who lived in gratitude with a deep awareness of, and attentiveness to, the ecosystem of which they were a part.

All this learning and identity formation which is to come for the Hebrews is founded on the Sabbath, it is indeed the first lesson the people learn from Yahweh, the living Spirit of the wilderness, the Liberating One.

shalom all, Christopher Giffen

The Year of Sabbath

From November of 2007 to November of 2008, 14 UCC leaders of youth and young adults from across the country are joining together in mutual support to engage in Sabbath practices. Intentionally practicing Sabbath is a way to examine and truly recognize the breadth of work that has been done in youth ministry and discern the work that must continue. Even in our faith communities a culture of busyness and a preoccupation with productivity has replaced the holy rhythm of work and rest. Together we will prayerfully struggle to find the balance between work and ministry, taking time to cease our patterns of activity and to honour and engage the meaning of Sabbath in our context. We invite others into this time as we “listen, pause, pray and repeat” in order to discern the Spirit’s wisdom for youth ministry.

Initially we will focus on adopting the Sabbath practice in our own faith lives. In the first month of the year of Sabbath, we will begin by taking 1 hour per week of Sabbath, and each share in a ritual together of prayer, scripture reading, silent reflection, journaling and singing. In the second month we will take 2 hours per week. As the year progresses we will deepen and expand our commitment to practice the Sabbath, month by month, hour by hour. By the end of the year we will spend 12 hours a week in Sabbath, which may include a community meal, abstaining from financial transactions, and resting from our regular work, among many other things.

In order to make the broadest impact on our church, we will invite others to join us in our Sabbath-taking. First, each of the 14 will find a mentor who will support us as we undertake this discipline. As we journey, we will invite as many others into this practice as feel called, including our congregations, and other communities of faith of which we are a part. Together with all these Sabbath-practitioners, we will pay homage to the work of those who have gone before us, and we will discern together the spirit’s call for youth ministry in the United Church of Canada.

Every week from now until November 2008, one of the 14 leaders will post an excerpt from their reflections onto the Sabbath blog: http://yayasabbathdiscernmentteam.blogspot.com. (But you know that 'cause you're already here!) The blog page can be visited by anyone and the schedule of weekly Sabbath scripture can be found there also. So join us as we honestly engage with, and struggle to reclaim, an ancient faith tradition. We trust that through this practice, new directions, deepened discipleship, and revolutionary energy will spring forth for the work of youth ministry in our church.

Sabbath Discernment Team

Sabbath Is Hard Work

The irony and tragedy of our lifestyle is demonstrated by the fact that the whole concept of Sabbath has been derided and neglected as luxuriant and unproductive. It's funny how much time and preparation we, (OK, I'll speak for myself), I need to feel alright with spending spiritual time for self-nurture. Maybe because there isn't a concrete outcome that I can point to and say "this is where your offering plate money went" like a meeting or a pastoral visit or a killer sermon.

Back to all the preparation that is needed for Sabbath: I spent a good chunk of morning trying to find the right candle to use for my weekly ritual (which is part procrastination, part OCD) and selecting appropriate meditation music (settling on Peter Gabriel's "Passion: soundtrack for The Last Temptation of Christ"). And when I try to settle into a space of no-thing-ness and spiritual connection, my mind is racing through all the other things I need to get to in the day.

I did manage to bring to mind each member of the Discernment Team and sent them positive, loving energy. Which reminds me now that we should probably explain further to the Internet audience what we're about as a Sabbath Discernment Team in the Year of Sabbath and how they might join in. Maybe next time, this post is long enough already.

Discerningly yours,
Kenji