We trust in God

I trust you...
....with my life.
This past week I’ve been reflecting on Psalm 56. In my confirmation class on Wednesday night we started with a breath prayer. As I breathed in I said the words “I trust you...” as I breathed out I said the words “...with my life.” This is the biggest challenge I face. The next morning during my Sabbath ritual I read the whole of Psalm 56. What I found interesting is that the psalmist began by saying, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Later in the writing the phrases were reversed, “In God I trust, I am not afraid.” The simple reversal of words changed my outlook.
It’s one thing to say I’m afraid therefore I put my trust in God and it is something completely different to say I place my trust in God and therefore I’m not afraid. When we operate out of a place of fear we get to a point where we reach out because we can’t handle things anymore. We want to let go of the responsibility we hold on to in hopes of being released from the fear. I believe we see examples of this every day for our culture has become very reactionary.
When I think about Youth and Young Adult Ministry I think more often than not we start from a place of fear, and anxiety, but not trust. Often Youth Ministry is established in congregations and presbyteries because of the fear that the church will die without the youth, or fear that our children and youth will be lost in our world and have no faith.
Psalm 56 reminded me that we need to push ourselves to begin in a place of trust. The psalmist speaks the reversed phrase twice...I place my trust in God therefore I’m not afraid. I think it is said twice because it is often harder to do.
I’ve also started to wonder if our National goals for Youth and Young Adult Ministry start from a place of trust or from a place of fear, and if indeed it is a place of fear how can we change this so that God’s mission can be fully realized rather than letting our own agendas get in the way. Does the Call to Purpose which evolved out of the last national meeting start from a place of trust or fear?
Taking Sabbath time has helped me to start from a place of trust in my life and in my ministry. When we are in a balanced state we can stay in that place of trust because our anxieties won’t get the better of us.
When we act out of fear we bend over backwards for the youth just to have them there. We bring the frills we try and make it fun and exciting, but I wonder what we are truly giving them. Moreover when we react and act from a place of fear we often ignore our instincts, or we rush to find a volunteer who may have little to no training. I wonder what the youth and the volunteer truly gain from this?
Friends may trust in God! Blessings, Karen

My thoughts on Hebrews 4

It has taken me all week to reflect on Hebrews 4 posted by Karen last Sunday. I read the passage before I went to work last Monday morning and sat and prayed that God would speak to me through these words. I came back to it on Wednesday, re-read the passage and was still feeling bogged down by it. I think what challenged me so much was that I had a sense of guilt come over me, that I was being unfaithful or unbelieving by not taking rest. I know that it may sound kind of twisted to put it that way but actually it does make some sense.

It took so much effort for me to get this scripture because I haven't been taking weekly sabbath time. Even though I know that I should be and so reading that those who don't believe will not find rest in God, challenged me. I need to take time for my faith, remember that I am one of God's children, praise God daily, follow the teachings of Jesus and take time for sabbath rest regularly.

Later in this passage, it says that "no creature is hidden". When I forget my connection with God, God is still there with me. When I don't go to church and forget to pray, God is still there with me. When I get frustrated over work or life stuff and get completely stressed out and don't pray, God is still there with me. And when I get run down, tired, and depressed, God is still there with me. If I prepare to just be with God, to not be distracted by work, to worship and praise, to ask and hear in prayer, and take sabbath rest, I will more likely remember that God is still there with me and I won't be hiding (either intentionally or unintentionally) from God.

In relation for the goal "to strengthen and develop local youth and young adult ministry through a network of spiritually healthy, education and ethical leaders", I wonder how our leaders can be encouraged to be faithful and take time for sabbath, not only because they are supposed to, but because it can strengthen their relationship with God and further their faith journey. When I was working in a congregation, there were so many Sundays when I just didn't really feel like going to church. Now that it's up to me to decide if I feel like going, when I do go, I am able to be fully present and worship, without worrying about my lesson plan, children's time or the reflection.

Alison

The Invitation Still Stands

The invitation still stands. God is again inviting us into rest, to enjoy the gift of Sabbath. The summer held many moments of Sabbath time for me personally, and for a while I was even able to find a rhythm to my life which included feasting with friends, sitting and basking in the sun in the early evening. I found a creative space this summer for coming up with new topics of discussion for the youth, and new possible gatherings for the congregation. I spent more time on the golf course then I ever have, but after reading this scripture I realize that I had missed one important thing – Rest!
Rest isn’t simply about sitting still for me, or for that matter sleeping or napping. When I think of Sabbath rest I think of spending time in intentional reflection with God. Taking time each week to read scripture and then journal and talk with others about it has deepened my connection with God, and that is what I was missing this summer. My spirit had become restless, and longed for a sense of peace and grounding, that I had found last fall. My heart longed to be opened. The Sabbath ritual had been a place where I allowed myself to feel, to release my spirit and to hear God’s voice in everyone around me.
I was disappointed this summer when week after week there was no scripture posted, but I did find other ways to share Sabbath with others. At the beginning of June, the Youth Forum Design Team for General Council 40 met for the first time. Rick, Adam and I felt that it would be very important to share the principles of Sabbath with the group, those being feasting, resting, ceasing, and embracing. The first night we split our team up into small groups and had each group prepare a different part of our evening meal. With each course part of our group would serve the food, another group would pray and then we would spend time in conversation learning about our passions, our dreams, our faith and our lives. Taking over 3 hours to eat together proved to be a blessing beyond anything we imagined. I marvelled at the depth of sharing we had reached in such a short time, I smiled as each member of our team seemed to find a place in which to share their gifts. And throughout the weekend we found time to play together, to delight in our surroundings, and to sing in a monestry together. At the end of our meeting people commented that they were leaving a meeting feeling full and not empty for the first time. The amazing thing is that we got all of our work done and more.
In my own congregation, I shared the principles of Sabbath with the staff and from that we have recreated the opening of our worship and have decided to spend the year exploring the question, “Is it well with my soul?” Each week we ask the congregation to reflect on this question, and we have been focussing on the four principles of Sabbath in hopes that people will find ways to implement them in their lives. We have thought about what we need to cease being about this year, we have looked for places in our ministry where we could make room for God’s spirit to work. What I have witnessed over the past several weeks is a congregation who is beginning to shed some of their expectations of themselves and others, and who are finding more ways to hear God’s call to mission.
For me the most important part from the Hebrew’s scripture was verse 1, “therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” I think God is calling me to keep practicing my ritual and keep finding ways for others to enter this rest, for in doing so my spirit feels free, energized and at home – I enter God’s rest. I am ever grateful for the second invitation into this rest, I hope you are too.
I want to thank Rick Gunn for his reflection as well. It’s wonderful to hear how the scripture touches each person. It reminds me of the richness that community can bring.
Blessings my friends,
Karen

"Today, if you hear God's voice..."

Hi, Sabbath team and friends thereof,

Wow, Karen! That passage from Hebrews is dense! Or at least I find it so. I pondered your question about the connection between the passage and the National goal (see Sept 21 posting). But I couldn't stop going back to phrases in the passage that spoke to me rather than the goal.

There is a lot of Good News in the reading and there is a call to account. The writer invites me to notice if I have hardened my heart to God's rest. Even the phrase "Today, if you hear God's voice..." strikes me with its "if". IF!? It is so true that there are days when I search for God's voice and I hear nothing. Not that God's voice isn't there but rather I feel unable to hear it.

God's rest "remains open for some to enter it". Will I be part of the "some"? How can I prepare to be part of the "some"?

As I reflect back on what has been our Year of Sabbath I feel that my Sabbath practice and ponderings has helped me to prepare to be open to some wonderful things. In the last few months I began to feel a deep centeredness, a focus on my own creativity, a clarity about what really matters in my ministry and my personal life and a slowly developing ability to be truly present in many moments. (I wish I could say every moment but I can't.)

When I began to realize that I was generally feeling energized and Spirit-led for an extended period I began to wonder why. I believe the Year of Sabbath has been a huge part of this present space.

Sabbath has not been easy. I didn't anticipate that I might reap the benefits of the practice in the ways that I am. But that might be the point: don't anticipate what the Spirit might be moved to do when I create the space for God to move at all.

What I know quite clearly is that the most powerful Sabbath relationship for me has been my monthly "session" with my mentor. As I write the word "mentor" it feels funny. It has been a long time since Keith and I have used the language of mentoring. Instead we are definitely sharing and accompanying.

I expected that my relationships and sharings with the Sabbath team would be most powerful but honestly it has not been but for the obvious fact that we cannot gather face to face with some frequency. The blog and emails help but that has not felt like authentic community to me. I sincerely cherish the two times we have been together and have gleaned MUCH insight into Sabbath from those times (and I am grateful for the grounds on which friendship and collegial networking have been laid).

The last line of the Hebrews passage challenges and inspires me:
"Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Living faithfully takes BIG boldness! I will continue to be open to the Year of Sabbath and what might unfold from it for me, for my congregation and for my church as a whole. (A good place to start is finding out when I am supposed to choose a focus scripture and blog and DO IT! I took a Sabbath from Sabbath in the summer.)

One powerful lesson I have learned is that God is at work (and rest) whether I am open to God or not.

I leave you with one of my new favourite pieces of literature. A poem by Rene Rilke.
Be well.

Rick Gunn

Because once someone dared
to want you,
I know that we, too, may want you.

When gold is in the mountain
and we've ravaged the depths
till we've given up digging,

it will be brought forth into day
by the river that mines
the silences of stone.

Even when we don't desire it,
God is ripening.

God's Promise

I invite you all to reflect on Hebrews 4. I believe that this scripture connects to the National goal of "to strengthen and develop local youth and young adult ministry through a network of spiritually healthy, education and ethical leaders. How do you think this goal connects to the scripture?

"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "As in my anger I swore, they shall not enter my rest," though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows, "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." And again in this place it says, "They shall not enter my rest." Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day -- "today" -- saying through David much later, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

Since, then, we have a great hight priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a hight priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Blessings in your sabbath reflection -- Karen

Dwelling on God

God, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 90:1-2

I know there are many great reasons to read contemporary language versions of the Bible, but there is something about the more traditional language of the NRSV and yes, even the KJV, that still appeals to me. Consider the word "dwelling," there just aren't many other places these days that I can read that word. When I read the word I think of home and of lingering. There is the idea of both place and time included in the word "dwelling." In this short text, we read that God is our dwelling place for all time. We find our home in God and we reside in time and space with God. God is with us in all time and all space and in this time and this place. God is part of our daily routines, rituals, movements, and interactions.

My favourite time to linger with God and notice God's presence with me is in the morning hours. I like to get up earlier than anyone else in the household (and my housemates will tell you I get cranky if they are up early too!) so that I can go through my morning routine and ritual in quiet and solitude. My morning rituals may seem slow and even silly to some, but I need that time to give shape to my day, to centre me, and to allow me to enter the rest of the day with a sense of God's presence.

How do you greet the day?

What rituals or habits help to establish your day?

What is your favourite time of the day?

What do you do to intentionally find your dwelling place with God?

Praise be to God who dwells among us. May we find ways to linger in time and place with God.

-Amy

The presence of God

An old Hasidic rabbi crosses the village square every morning on his way to the temple to pray. One morning, a large cossack soldier, who happened to be in a vile mood, accosted him, saying, "Hey, Rebby, where are you going?"
And the rabbi said, "I don't know."
This infuriated the Cossack. "What do you mean, you don't know? Every morning for twenty-five years you have crossed the village square and gone to the temple to pray. Don't fool with me. Who are you, telling me you don't know?"
He grabbed the old rabbi by the coat and dragged him off to jail. Just as he was about to push him into the cell, the rabbi turned to him, saying: "You see, I didn't know."
--Traditional Tale.

Over the years I have heard story after story of the struggles of different people who are engaging in Youth and Young Adult ministry. Part of the struggle is that congregations often look to the youth minister to know the answer to the questions how do we get youth in the church, or how will we keep the church from dying? This is an impossible expectation to live up to. As we all know no one person can save the church.

Thinking back on the first 5 years of my ministry at Riverbend United Church I remember feeling inadequate, and full of fear that I would fail, or someone would realize that I really didn't have much training to do this job. I always felt that my colleagues were years ahead of me, and I was envious of their programs. I think about all the mistakes I made, and how I was suddenly respected as a youth minister simply because my group grew to 60 youth. I would have to say that, those were the years that my ministry was at it weakest and I didn't deserve respect simply because my group appeared to be big in numbers. I spent the year feeling like I was always behind, and I spent all my time simply trying to keep the crowd of youth under control and entertained. It was also during that time that my personal life was in shambles. I remember this one moment during that time when I felt completely defeated, and I seriously considered leaving the church. I was unhappy, I was exhausted, and I was stretched. I had no idea where I was going.

I remember sitting in the dark sanctuary of the church by myself at 2 in the morning staring at the cross. My mind was a blank. All I wanted was to feel something, I wanted to know that God was there holding me, helping me, walking with me. Instead I left the church that night feeling numb, but that was it. The next day didn't get better, in fact the next year didn't get better, but somehow, I kept going. That was the year that I was asked to justify my job, by providing numbers of youth, detailed time sheets of how I was spending my time, and a list of results, goals and outcomes.

Somewhere in all this I came to a place where I remembered why I was doing this ministry. I think that 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 captures it best: "Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the trust we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God." I think that subconsciously God was sending me that message. It was by God's mercy that I was doing this ministry. God was holding me, supporting me and walking with me. I wish I had been engaged in the practices of sabbath during that difficult time, because I think I would have come to this understanding a lot sooner. Taking time each week to meditate on scriptures, and taking time to share my thoughts and questions with others gives me strength, clarity of purpose, and hope. It is because of God that I have not been crushed, nor driven to despair, forsaken or destroyed. I'm grateful for the 13 years that I've had at Riverbend, the relationships that I've built, the depth of sharing that comes with this long term ministry. I'm also grateful that I lived in the struggle because it has helped me to come to know the person that I am and it has deepened my faith. It is something that I will always treasure.

I hope and pray that others will find comfort and strength in knowing that we all struggle in this ministry and that we are not alone. May these words bring you peace, and hope as you continue in this ministry:
"So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18.

Blessings, Karen

Treasure in Clay Jars 2 Corinthians 4: 7-15

Hello Friends,

This was a scripture that was shared at a recent meeting I was at, and I thought it would be good to spend some more time reflecting on it. I will post my reflection later this week.

Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture--"I believed, that so I spoke" -- we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

When God Made Me

Dear Sabbath Bloggers,

This past Sunday was Music Sunday at Islington United Church, a day for celebrating the many gifts that are offered musically in this congregation. Two people offered reflections, one on Bach, the other on Neil Young’s song “When God Made Me.” A young adult preached on the amazing words of this song, and following his spoken word, he sang these words to us:

Was he thinkin' about my country
Or the color of my skin?
Was he thinkin' 'bout my religion
And the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in his image
Or every living thing?

When God made me
When God made me

Was he planning only for believers
Or for those who just have faith?
Did he envision all the wars
That were fought in his name?
Did he say there was only one way
To be close to him?

When God made me
When God made me

Did he give me the gift of love
To say who I could choose?

When God made me
When God made me

When God made me
When God made me

Did he give me the gift of voice
So some could silence me?
Did he give me the gift of vision
Not knowing what I might see?
Did he give me the gift of compassion
To help my fellow man?

When God made me
When God made me
When God made me
When God made me

Needless to say, the Spirit moved past the safe place I have created to shield my soul from the changing winds of the Spirit. I was especially moved by the words in the last verse where Young speaks of God’s gifts of voice, vision and compassion, each from in the context of love. I was moved to a place of bravery for my youth, for my ministry and for the vision the Spirit has granted to me.

Sarah Chapman, who is working on the GO Project this summer in Toronto, and I have been gathering together to hold not only the GO Project in the light of Sabbath time, but have also bonded together to share each week our joys and struggles, in each our individual beings. A while back, at our last meeting in Tatamagouche, NS many of us on the team shared our difficulties in holding the Sabbath time on our own. My time in sharing with Sarah has re-enforced the necessity of gathering two or more together in sacred time together. I encourage each person, on the team, or simply reading this blog to find one person, with whom you can gather together with, over coffee, over a candle, over a pint, to share your time and story with.

When God made you, a vision of community was created, a vision that sparks into action our voices, our compassion, our hope, our love, for a world that is a better place for all, a church that is truly open to the change found only in the love of God.

I hope these words and the words of Neil Young inspire these gifts to rise up within you.

Peace Sisters and Brothers,
Michael

ps - the following link has a recording of the song if you want a listen, following a 10 second add, enjoy!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4736779

Wedding Season - May 25-31, 2008

John 2:1-11

This posting is late. Approximately 2 weeks late. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, but the three months before that were basically commitment-free, and I didn’t even think about doing anything ahead of time. So much for the value of Sabbath preparation, eh? No excuses...

It’s also been a challenging couple of weeks for our discernment group. People have shared their personal struggles with ministry, with call, and with commitment. It’s taken courage and faith for them to open up and speak honestly. Their concerns and struggles are probably the same concerns and struggles that we all face in one way or another, but usually we don’t feel that we have the tools or often, the willingness, to bring up. Hopefully, our intentional time together in April helped to create a community that encourages us to be more honest and challenging with one another. There are definitely limits to what internet community alone can provide.

The challenge is figuring out how to respond when people are struggling. Whether it’s the youth in our churches, or ministry friends spread out across the country, it’s hard to know how to care. Ministry of presence is tough over the internet. Sitting silently with your hand on someone’s shoulder doesn’t have the same effect when it’s an electronic hand, and an electronic shoulder. And how do you even convey supportive silence electronically? Text “hmmm...tell me how that makes you feel” every once in a while?

So, this is the best I can do for now. You are my friends. I admire you, I respect you, and I am constantly in awe of your wisdom, faith, and strength. Your experiences are your own, and I don’t know what it’s like to be in the places you are right now, facing the hurdles you face right now, and making the decisions you’re making right now. But, I’d like to hear about them.

At the very least, I can assure you that none of this stuff is a reflection of your ability or skill or worthiness or anything else like that. Everyone who has ever been dumb enough to get involved in youth ministry knows what it means to feel woefully inadequate. The hard thing to accept is that there’s no such thing as adequate. We’re all hopelessly in over our heads, but somehow God thinks that’s ok.

My sister got married a couple of weeks ago, and the entire production was a gong show from the moment it started until the final party-goer left the hall at 3am. Typical small town Saskatchewan hill-billy wedding. My only responsibility was to emcee the evening, and the phrase “herding cats” came to mind quite often. The bridal party was an hour late for supper, the bartender didn’t show up, the sound system only worked sporadically, and the darn computer projector kept going into sleep mode in the middle of the cute picture shows.

Absolutely nothing went the way it was supposed to. Well, nothing went the way I thought it was supposed to, anyway. All the half-funny jokes, all the hours spent wrestling with powerpoint (and cursing Microsoft), all the planning and stress...and nothing worked.

And the worst part came after everything was over. It’s 3:30 in the morning, I’m lying in the hotel room, smelling like stale beer (did I mention that somebody forgot to hire a cleaning crew?), and for some reason, I kept thinking about Sabbath and ministry with youth. The image stuck in my head was Jesus trying to get everybody to chill out at the Canaan wedding. How sick is that?

At times it feels like herding cats. Nothing goes the way it’s supposed to. The literal and symbolic powerpoint never works, people don’t show up, the wine runs out (don’t worry, we had that one covered), and there are plenty of late nights spent cleaning up somebody else’s mess.

As much as it drives us insane to admit it, none of it makes one bit of difference in the end. When it all comes down to it, nobody remembers that junk anyway. The only thing that matters is that there was a beautiful celebration of love and God’s presence.

Friends, in weddings and youth ministry and Sabbath and life, we’re in way over our heads. Please know that your cat herd isn’t the only one that feels out of control. We can’t herd them, but at least we can love them, even if it is only one at a time. And that’s better than ok. God thinks that’s incredible.

Elihu and listening...

Job 32:1-14

In this passage Elihu is a youth. He has been sitting in the shadows for sometime, watching as the older men speak. He respectfully listens, truly listens to his mentors...listens intentionally to be changed by what they are saying. Although, he gets frustrated and after his listening he speaks out. Most believe that these speeches were an addition to the book of Job. Either way, they really capture the importance of the voice of youth.

I don't know if we always truly listen to youth. I think we know what we want them to say. This weekend was MC Youth Forum and Rick brought a question to the youth from the floor of conference. I realized that I knew how I wanted them to respond, and some did accordinly. Yet, there were so many different answers. Diversity in expereince and perspective among youth is important and I think I need to remember this. I need to be open to be changed by their words instead of already presuming what they are going to say.

Also, I think I may have been putting to many presumptions or expectations on my Sabbath time or prayer life as it has been lacking space to just listen. I forgot that to listen to hear that what the spirit is saying to me, just might be different from what I have heard before. Just might have the power to change me or move me in a new direction.

Elihu's words are empowering for both their presence and their content. Reading this passage this week taught me that maybe if I listen harder I might be able to actually have something more powerful to say.

Reading for May 18th - 24th, 2008

Acts 2: 42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship,

to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.

All who believed were together and had all things in common; the would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread together at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God

and having the goodwill of all the people.

As we enter the long weekend and celebrate the beginning of the summer season, we may find ourselves traveling to visit friends and family. I'm looking forward to a weekend volunteering at Lumsden Beach Camp. A place where many youth and leaders are coming together to enjoy fresh air, share stories, pause from everyday routines, and play.

It's a get-away from work, school, technology, and busyness, and a moving toward intentional rest, play, and togetherness. This ritual of coming together in community with people we love, to share in conversation, summer barbeques, is a wonderful way to spend Sabbath time. Sabbath time is best spent with others, as many of us learned during our first 4 months of Sabbath. I invite everyone to invite others to share in Sabbath time and ritual. Be open to what "awe"some things happen when you intentionally explore what Sabbath can mean to you.

I'll leave it at that for now. More later in the week!

Peace and Blessings for the long weekend.

Sandra

Was frustrated but am adjusting

Hello, Sabbathers!

Thinking about our time together in Tatamagouche. I was grateful to be able to deepen relationships with all of you during our time. But as we shared our Sabbath experiences I got discouraged. Not that I needed everyone to have a similar experience in every way but one way I had hoped we could share was that we all would remain committed to attempting a Sabbath ritual or practice of some kind.

Between our first meeting in Regina and our Tatamagouche meeting I did my ritual based on the assumption that we were in solidarity with a commitment to the ritual. During that time we were learning from each other that some found it really difficult if not impossible and I was OK with that. I certainly understood the guilt around that. It was more at the meeting when I felt that there was more or less a collective abandonment of commitment to ritual. Yes, people would try to honour Sabbath in their own way (once a week, once a month, every 7 years, whatever!). But I found it sad to have to let go of what I had hoped we could be with the ritual. Maybe I have misunderstood where we left off with the ritual of Sabbath.

It would have been helpful for me if we had taken some time to re-commit to a more personalized ritual. For instance, I would commit to continuing my Wednesday morning Sabbath. Another member might commit to a weekly family meal and treating it as Sabbath. Then I could know that we were still in solidarity in our Sabbath "experiment" which I feel is central to our discernment of the work we need to do for the larger church.

And I also must admit that as well as I am doing at Sabbath practice I am not doing so well at discerning the youth and young adult ministry questions which we named near the end of our meeting. And clearly at the meeting there are many on this great team who excel at working through that piece. So I feel inadequate in that respect.

Anyway, as we named together, our church is not that good at being vulnerable and honest. So this blog entry is my attempt.

Peace.

Rick G(unn)

for the week of April 27 - May 3

The focus scripture comes from the theme (Acts 1:8) that the Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry is using this year.

Acts 1: 6-11
So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’

He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Sabbath Team Gathering April 2008: What we learned!

Sabbath Discernment Gathering
April 7-10, 2008


Sabbath is…
Sabbath is a gift from God!
Sabbath is about making space for God to move, to work, and to be in our lives.
Sabbath is about taking time to rest, to cease, to embrace, and to feast.
Sabbath is about establishing a rhythm in our life.

Sabbath is not…
Sabbath is not expressed in the same way for everyone.
Sabbath is not something that you can contain or box up.
Sabbath is not something that can be deeply experienced without preparation.

Sabbath invites us…
Sabbath invites us to engage our faith.
Sabbath invites us to be in community.
Sabbath invites us to listen deeply to ourselves, one another, to creation, and to God.

Sabbath calls us…
Sabbath calls us to be vulnerable.
Sabbath calls us to be honest.
Sabbath calls us to be in relationship.
Sabbath calls us to live out our faith in all parts of our life.
Sabbath calls us home.

Sabbath is a gift! A gift from God!

As we began to share our stories of Sabbath with one another in the beautiful and comforting setting of Tatamagouche Centre in Nova Scotia, it was clear that our experiences and our perceived success in the Sabbath ritual varied greatly. The ritual that we had set out for ourselves back in September worked for some and not for others. Feelings of guilt, fear of letting down the team, feelings of isolation were shared by many of the team. Others found Sabbath to be grounding, peaceful, and life giving. As a group we found it hard to stay connected across the country, and many of us expressed a longing to hear more about what was going on for everyone on the team. In the end I think it would be safe to say that we each could name moments where we experienced Sabbath and as a result we all have a better understanding about what Sabbath is and isn’t, and it is slowly seeping into our lives and affecting our work and our faith.

Our purpose for gathering was to begin intentionally practicing Sabbath as a way to examine and truly recognize the breadth of work that has been done in youth and young adult ministry and discern the work that must continue or be a priority. David White in his book “Practicing Discernment with youth; A Transformative Youth Ministry Approach,” points out that:

“The Sabbath includes the sense that work and rest are not to be distinguished too discretely but are to be considered as integral to creative action. Work that does not include Sabbath risks alienating our bodies from our hearts, minds, and souls. By failing to remember God’s presence in the suffering and bliss around us, we risk the possibility that our work may serve purposes other than God’s which may fragment the beauty and integrity that God intends for creation.” (p.182)

With this in mind, we began to discern what the unique role of the National Church is in this ministry. We also explored what it might look like if we were a “Youth Shaped Church.” As we entered this time of discernment we thought about what we might need to cease doing or being about. We pondered the questions where do we find rest in this work, and what do we need to take a rest from. We feasted and celebrated the breadth and depth of work that has been done in this ministry over the past 12 – 15 years. We celebrated how Youth and Young Adult ministry has grown and changed over the years. Finally, we began to discern what needs to be embraced in order to live out the call to youth and young adult ministry.

During our time of discernment what became clear is that we feel called to share our practice and experience of Sabbath with the wider church. The Moderator, David Giuliano, wrote the team a letter saying, “Friends, thank you for keeping the Sabbath on behalf of our larger community that has great difficulty with this discipline. I know that some of you are struggling with it too. None-the-less it is a prophetic call to the wider body to live less out of the “works-righteousness” that comes so easily to us. Through Sabbath we continue to find our place in creation and live more profoundly out of grace in our lives. We come to know who we are supposed to be.” The team left Nova Scotia with deeper understanding of each other and our faith, and renewed passion for this ministry. We named patterns that we have been living in and the need to end these.

We recognize the challenge of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, but that it is a prophetic call to be honest and open with each other in our fears, our pain, our joy, and our love. We wish to invite others to find the space to enter into deep conversations with us and each other, to acknowledge the brokenness and pain and fear that you carry, and to trust that you are loved and that we truly are the body of Christ called to speak for justice, with compassion so that we can bring healing to all levels of our church.

Written on behalf of the Sabbath Team by Karen

Watch this space!

Some updates to the blog layout, reflections on the discernment team's Sabbath journeys thus far and a recap of the recent meeting in Tatamagouche, NS will all be forthcoming.

In the meantime, we've committed to letting go of guilt and embracing competitive karaoke.

Blessings & peace,
Kenji

Preparing for our time together (Isaiah 41:1)

Hi Everyone!

In preparation for the discernment team gathering next week, I thought that Isaiah 41:1 is a good place for us to be. (From The Message)

"Quiet down, far-flung ocean islands. Listen! Sit down and rest, everyone. Recover your strength.
Gather around me. Say what's on your heart.
Together let's decide what's right.

I would also like to invite us to take part in the Ignatian Examen:
Where have you seen God in the first half of our time together?
Where have you felt an absence of God in the first half of our time together?

Text and Refelction for March 23-30

"The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had not leisure even to eat." (Mark 6:31-31)

This past week has been a busy week - a Holy Week - but a busy week! Many of us have spent the last several days gathered around Jesus, some teaching, some leading worship, some doing the myriad tasks related to celebrating the great mystery of Easter. As I tried to rouse Andrew this morning he said, "I think after Holy Week should come Sleeping Week when we all get to sleep whenever we want."

True rest is becoming a rare and endangered species for many Western cultures, pushed to the margins of life. There is likely a sense of both hope and guilt when we encounter the invitation to "come away and rest for a while." We may feel the urgent need for restoration and rejuvenation that a deserted place could offer us, and yet we feel the pull of the familiar world of activity through which we often find affirmation.

In Mark's gospel, the disciples have just been travelling about in pairs healing the sick and casting out demons. They had been so busy they hadn't even had time to eat. Their time away with Jesus seems short as the crowds soon find them. The disciples are ready to send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and find something to eat. The author of the Gospel of Mark then relates the story of the 5000 men fed from five loaves of bread and two fish. Finally, through God's great hospitality, everyone's hunger is satisfied!

Often for me, it seems like hard work to rest in God and accept the hospitality and nourishment that God offers. And so, I often remain tired and hungry. Soon, we will gather as a Sabbath community and share our experiences of resting and our experiences of resisting a rest ;). It will likely mean that we have to work especially hard to prepare for our time away. I just hope we can enter our time together without guilt over what we leave behind and without guilt over how well we've "done" Sabbath.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Peace,
Amy

http://branemrys.blogspot.com/2006/11/wisdom-from-abba-poemen.html

For Holy Week and the yearning for Sabbath

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"

My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God

Reflection on Ecc 4:9-16

Over the past few months I have found it hard to commit to my weekly sabbath ritual mostly because I have been doing it alone. I invited members of my congregation to join me for the ritual during lent and no one joined me. I was really disappointed. Day after day I feel more and more isolated and disconnected from my life, my ministry and people on this team and I don't think I'm alone (Maybe it's the weather, or maybe not). Regardless of the reason isolation has always been a struggle for those of us in leadership with Youth and Young Adults.

In the Ecclesiastes passage I am reminded of the importance and value of friends especially in Youth and Young Adult Ministry. I do not feel like we are a three fold cord as the scriptures suggest we should be. I believe that we are connected with God, but I do not always feel like this ministry is connected to the wider ministry of the church -- through no fault of our own. Part of the frustration is that we don't often fit into the structure as it is defined. We struggle to find our place within the institution.

As usual, I found wisdom and inspiration on this struggle in the writings of Henri Nouwen. In his book, Bread for the Journey the April 14th entry, Nouwen reflects on the importance of relationships and leadership. He captures the advocacy role of leadership in Youth and Young Adult ministry in the image of the "Good Shepherd." He writes:

"Good Shepherds are willing to lay down their lives for their sheep. As spiritual leaders walking in the footsteps of Jesus we are called to lay down our lives for our people. This laying down might in special circumstances mean dying for others. But it means first of all making our lives -- our sorrows and joys, our despair and hope, our loneliness and experience of intimacy -- available to others as a source of new life."

As leaders in Youth and Young Adult ministry there have been many who have laid down their lives in advocacy for the youth and young adults of the church, and it hasn't been for nothing. The fruits of these sacrifices have been seen and heard at General Council 39 in 2006 where the prophetic voice of youth and young adults across this country of ours were embraced and listened to by the wider church. But how do we keep this from being an isolated event?

I take comfort in the words from Ecclesiastes as we continue to struggle to find our place in The United Church of Canada. In Ecclesiastes it says, "Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who will no longer take advice...I saw all the living who, moving about under the sun follow that youth who replaced the king."

How do we let the wise youth be the Shepherd who leads the sheep (the church), who lays down their life for our church? The gift of youth and young adults is their honesty, energy, willingness to risk, doubt, compassion , and passion for justice. How can we, the church, allow ourselves to be embraced by the youth? How do we create a space for youth and young adults within this church? How do we learn to embrace each other and keep each other warm? How do we grow in trust with each other? How do we move from being independent to being interdependent where we ensure that the wise youth are respected and heard? What do we as a national church need to let go of in order to give the land a time to lay fallow?

Gracious God, I long for the church to be open to being filled with your grace, your wisdom, your patience and your love. I am reminded that taking time to honour your gift of the sabbath makes space in our lives for you, it makes space for people to connect in body as well as in spirit with others.

I wonder how the practice of sabbath could enrich our faith at the National level, how could honouring the sabbath as an institution bring healing to the people called to lead us as a church? How can sabbath free us from isolation and bring us back to the table together to feast and honour each other? Imagine what ministry could be if we were intentional with the advice in Ecclesiastes:

If two work together there is reward -- abundance

If two lie together there is warmth -- compassion & love

If two stand together there is strength -- justice.

It's time to stop being single strands of thread and instead twist our three fold cord together. Blessings my friends, Karen

The Value of a Friend

Hello everyone,

I've been spending a lot of time this past week reading from Ecclesiastes, and this passage caught my attention. It is about the value of a friend which I have come to believe is essential to the practice of sabbath.

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-16

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

For it they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls

and does not have another to help.

Again, if two lie together, they keep warm;

but how can one keep warm alone?

And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one.

A three-fold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king,

who will no longer take advice.

One can indeed come out of prison to reign, even though born poor in the kingdom.

I saw all the living who, moving about under the sun, follow that youth who replaced the king;

there was no end to all those people whom he led.

Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him.

Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I'll add my reflection later this week after I've had some more sleep!

Warm Fuzzies,

Karen

Reading Week March 2-8

Hello Sabbath Sisters and Brothers,

I wanted to announce this weeks reading, although somewhat late, still time for reflection and inspiration during this Lenten Season.

Psalm 27: 7-14 (i have included a text I enjoy)

O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
Seek God's face.

Instruct me, Lord, in your way
on an even path lead me.
False witness rise against me,
breathing out fury.

I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness
in the land of the living.
In the Lord, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!

I pray that this reading offers you sabbath inspiration in the week to come!
Peace
Michael

A Great Thing to Consider for Sabbath Choices!

This is a great piece of inspiration from The Daily OM: Nurturing Mind Spirit and Body

It's a great reading to meditate on... try it!

Rick, bleedin' daylight...

Arphaxad the Great!

1 Chronicles 1: 1-27

OK, to use some stereotypical United Church talk, I realize that I’m coming into the Sabbath blog “from a place of privilege”. I’m not currently in an active youth ministry position, either paid or volunteer. I have no responsibilities for worship, youth group, or committees. My present congregational church involvement consists entirely of sitting in a pew, singing hymns quite poorly, and trying not to drop my bulletin on the floor during the prayers of the people. It’s awesome!

Maybe it’s the Spirit at work, or maybe it’s just dumb luck, but this time of group Sabbath has fallen during my own time of personal sabbatical. By stepping out of churchy stuff for a while, I’m hoping to discover what I get homesick for, and to see what God might want (or desperately not want in a million years…) for me. Just don’t call it “discernment”, because in our little UC world, that usually means more structure and meetings. Maybe that’ll come later, but for now, I prefer the Greek term “SLACKOS”. Loosely translated, it means “sacred-time-to-watch-TV-and-eat-nachos”.

There’s a strange paradox at work when the people who face the most difficulty in creating time for intentional Sabbath are the ones we’ve asked to provide our spiritual leadership. But, there it is. At the risk of sounding patronizing and rubbing it in, I empathise with people for whom Sabbath time feels like just another commitment in an already overloaded schedule. I don’t know how I would have done it before Slackos time.

Ministry routines for many of us are pretty basic. Make a list of everything to be done, write it in a calendar, and then try like heck to stay one day ahead. At the very least, give the appearance that you’re one day ahead. Sure, there are always surprises that will spring up along the way, but for the most part, it’s the regular week-in and week-out things that fill our days.

Finish a youth retreat, and immediately start working on the next evening worship service. Make a presentation for the board, and then book a coffee date with some kids. Go to a basketball game at the school, and then prepare for camp staff interviews. It’s about reaction - living in the moment and always anticipating what comes next. React, react, react.

It’s exhilarating and energizing. There are so many great kids to be in ministry with, so many faith experiences to share, so many amazing things to do. It’s all about the present, and the future is boundless.

The problem was that I’d created a constant state of reaction for myself, and I couldn’t keep up. I hit a point where I couldn’t see the future, I was out of ideas, and I didn’t know why. It was hard to admit, but I wasn’t happy with the quality of ministry I was offering, and I knew that the kids and the church deserved better.

And so, along comes Arphaxad, the great hero of 1st Chronicles 1. Based on the details of the scriptures, this is what we can learn about mighty Arphaxad in verse 17:

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

He was begat-ten by some guy named Shem, and then later, he begat somebody else named Shelah. That’s it. But, somehow it’s enough to get his name in the Bible. Not bad, eh?

It may seem odd to read Chronicles as part of a Sabbath ritual. Perhaps the ancestral genealogy lines of ancient Hebrew societies are not the most spiritual content out there.

But, it’s the only place you’ll hear about Arphaxad. Besides, you also get to read about Nimrod and Gomer in the same passage. Funny names are always a good time.

Chronicles forces us to step off the reaction cycle for a while – to view ministry and community as more than just what comes next. It provides a past to support the future that we all dream of. People like Arphaxad laid the groundwork of faith that we’re still building on now, but unfortunately it’s rare that we take the time to realize that they even existed.

Long before we came up with that innovative new event (or activity, or song, or study, or story, or prayer, or worship, or…) our support network was already in place. For thousands of years, God worked in Arphaxad and Shem and Gomer and countless others, just the same way that God is works through us now.

Generations from now, God will still be working, and we’ll be the forgotten, essential, foundation-building ancestors. There's a lesson in there for youth ministry. Unless there’s a major Biblical revision in the meantime, we won’t have our names in the Bible, but that’s probably not why we’re in this, is it?

Sabbath for me has been an opportunity to remember where I came from, to re-discover that foundation of faith that holds us up even when we’re too vain or stubborn to acknowledge it. There are so many relationships for which to be grateful - so many mentors, friends, and family to appreciate. And alongside the gratitude that needs to be expressed, there is also much forgiveness to be sought.

For me, I couldn’t do that until I stopped reacting. I needed to stop. I needed to look behind for a little while before I could look ahead again.

There’s a lot yet to be done in God’s world. We’ve been given a heavy responsibility, and it can be intimidating. We’re not going to finish the trip all at once. But, as we continue on through Lent, following the same liturgical year that Christians have observed for a thousand years, it’s reassuring to remember that we’re going in the right direction.

There are a bunch of people with funny names who’ve already cleared a path.

Scripture for February 10 - 16, 2008

The reflection for this week is Psalm 139: 1-18

O Lord you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is a bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfull and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them yet existed.
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
I try to count them - they are more then the sand;
I come to the end "-I am still with you."

Did I See God? (and Do I Sound Flaky for Saying That?)

Hi, friends in Christ. I am just going to type more or less word for word what I journalled today. It is long.

Before this morning's ritual I went to the shore of the Bedford Basin. There was almost no movement in the water. Just the slightest lapping (if you could even call it that). Small, thin pieces of ice dotting the surface of the clear though polluted salt water. No seals today. I am always watching for seals.

I was able to put my present stressful life in perspective. I am feeling overwhelmed with all the work of a new Africa youth project, 2 sermons I have to prepare, a sleepover, rotation idea kits and much more. The kind of ministry density I have created is too much. I start to function less efficiently. I start to feel physically unwell. And I forget that the world will still turn without me. The world doesn't need me though I can add to it.

(off to try to meditate now)

Fresh out of my meditation. Wow. I don't know if I've ever experienced anything like that. I feel like I saw and felt God.

I don't know if I had my eyes closed for 15 or 30 minutes. Time melted away though I could always hear the ticking of my clocks. I was very aware of my space on one level but a whole other awareness was filling me. The words "full of God" became my experience. The reading for this week says that Sabbath is time full of God. I could feel energy swelling in my body; almost like pressing out on my skin from the inside.

I kept reminding myself: "have no expectations". (Words from my mentor.) A few "successful" meditations in the past involved seeing bright yellow light shifting and dancing. But today I sensed the most comforting, peaceful darkness. If there was colour it was purple, almost black. I could see undulations of energy washing from left to right and at an angle down, like at the shore today. I was perfectly comfortable and actually felt energy pulling me backward (could have been the pillow behind my back) but it was a bouyant pulling. And I felt aliveness and soft electricity on the upper half of the back of my head. It was warm.

I slipped in and out of thought around all this. In a moment of thinking that I was losing the meditation I suddenly felt a presence rush in and fill me more deeply and fully than ever before. I thought, "This is God". "I can see God."

I felt absolutely that I was in the company of a force. It was like the black-purple undulating energy of before but it had a name. It was joyful without being happy (which is shallower). I felt immediately that it was trying to or was about to communicate with me. I thought maybe it was saying something but not with words and I didn't know how to listen.

I felt incredibly alive, not at all drowsy as I often feel when I try to meditate.

I feel no desire to pull a message or a meaning from this. I discern nothing except that I feel like I saw the energy or essence of God. And I am so grateful for this encounter. I long for this in all my ministry and churchy stuff and I rarely, rarely feel it there.

Sunday - day of rest...

It is Sunday morning- 6:51am Ontario time, and this is the last day of my week for choosing scripture and blogging as my commitment to this team. Early on Tuesday morning, I e-mailed my colleagues to suggest Colossians 3:1-17 as the scripture reading for this week's sabbath practice. It has been 14 weeks since I last posted on this blog, and I admit I still have not figured out how to add my picture so that you know my face.
Still, I remain dedicated to discovering what Sabbath practices look like, and am convinced that they have lead to "new life" in me. After reading Rick Gunn's blog previous to this one, I can reflect that so far my sabbath practices have been breathing, prayer and the head/heart work of journalling, and reading. But, as the time gets longer this month, I am looking to how I can build in my routine of regular exercise (running), to make it less of work and duty, and more of sabbath and play. I look forward to meeting with my mentor on this journey in person on Ash Wednesday, as we have been praying this practice in two provinces and am curious what it will be like to engage it together.
The ritualizing of the time has not been easy, from silly questions - do I keep the candle lit for the whole three hours - how do I make the whole time feel sabbath like - and not the first hour which feels most like home. My struggle to be able to let time be "free" and the need to know "what will be accomplished" are always at battle within me as the time gets longer.
I am planning to take this week ahead to reflect on the reading Rick chose, and to see how during Lent, there might be room to explore the practices with the two church communities that I walk with. I had thought, if I could just get my own stuff together, then I would engage it with others - but now I see that it is impossible to do alone. Knowing my colleagues and others are engaging, is a much different kind of accountability - than the "in the midst" of day to day interactions - me thinks. I can only test this theory out - and hope it strengthens me to press onward toward the goal of choosing Sabbath time over all the other pressing parts of ministry.
This I know for sure, in the times I have chosen Sabbath
- it has felt like I've chosen Life!
Blessings on the journey as the time gets more abundant this month. Maya xo

Reading for Feb 4-10, 2008

An excerpt from “Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens”, edited by Dorothy C. Bass and Don C. Richter

Observing the Sabbath is a commandment. But in Jewish tradition the Sabbath is regarded even more as a gift, because each Sabbath is a reminder of how much God cherishes earth and the human beings made in God's own image. After creating the heavens and the earth, plants and animals, and finally, people, God sees that it is all very good. So God rests for a whole day, spending time with these creatures-being rather than doing, enjoying rather than working. God blesses this day (see Genesis 2:1-3). It's a wonderful day of grace.

Later, however, humanity turns away from God, and God's chosen people end up in slavery. Slavery is the opposite of Sabbath. In the book of Exodus, we read about how the Hebrew people were trapped in Egypt- making bricks for Pharaoh all day every day, unable to have any time off work at all. They cried out, and God heard their cry and led them out of bondage. Once they were free, God commanded them to keep the Sabbath. You are not slaves anymore, God told them. One way to remember that you are free is to take a whole day off, every single week, even when you think you don't have time to rest. And make sure that your animals and the people who work for you get to have a day off too!

In the very busy world of the 21st century, many adults work as if they were slaves-some because of severe financial need, some because their employers do not treat them fairly, and some because they are obsessed with work itself. Teens need to be aware of how a slave-labor mentality might develop in them during and after high school as well. And then- whether Jewish or Christian or practicing another faith-teens need to listen to this ancient word about freedom and accept the gift of Sabbath time-time to be rather than do; time to enjoy other people and creation; time for genuine, deep freedom.

Sabbath is not just empty time. Sabbath time is restful and renewing because it reorients us to God. It is time full of God, and for that reason, a time of true freedom. Therefore, the Sabbath has been and continues to be a day of worship as well as a day of rest for the Jewish people.

reading for Jan. 20-26

My apologies for dropping the ball on the Sabbath focus reading this week.

Once again to Nehemiah, who has been on my mind lately, chapter 13, verses 15-22:

¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food. Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? Did not your ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.’

19 When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates, to prevent any burden from being brought in on the sabbath day. ²⁰

Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. ²¹But I warned them and said to them, ‘Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.’ From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. ²²

And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favour, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

Finding My Way

Hi, team and anyone else who is following this Year of Sabbath,

Just wanted to share some words on how my Sabbath practice is going. I have no problem setting aside my Sabbath time on Wednesday mornings. Though my commitment to the ritual itself has been changing. I used to really enjoy getting all my worship items laid out like my Bible, my little slips of paper with team members' names on them, more slips of paper with people in my community I am concerned about, my candle and readings. I would fuss a bit over the "liturgy". Does it feel better to do breathing meditation BEFORE I read or AFTER? Should I sing the song I chose for the whole team or one that just comes to mind?

But these past few weeks I have simplified. I light a candle but the little slips of paper are gone. I don't always sing anymore but I ALWAYS try to meditate, which is usually so frsutratingly difficult that my brain starts to try to convince me that it isn't going to happen. But eventually I slip suddenly and gently into a heart space where I only know peace and joy in God's presence. I rejoice when that happens which of course breaks the meditation because I have begun thinking about it.

I was thrilled in December to make my Sabbath practice two hours. Then in January I wondered how on earth I would spend three hours. I resolved to make Wednesday mornings ritual and reading time. I would do my little solitary worship service then read whatever churchy book I was into. I like this pattern very much. I should always dedicate such time to reading otherwise it takes me months to read a book. As the months go by and hours get added on to Sabbathing, I think I will add them to Friday (a day I always try to stay away from work). And I will follow what sounds so scripturally true in Heschel's book: I will relax, I will celebrate, I will sleep, I will revel in God's glorious wooded or ocean-side places. I will say NO wherever possible to work commitments on Fridays. It will be a holy day for me as a child of God on earth.

My biggest struggle with this whole "project" is that we are supposed to be discerning the will of God for youth ministry and the church but that is work and work is not Sabbath. So I try to do what I think is Sabbath and I also dedicate discerning and journaling time to the ministry.

My final thought for this entry...I wish we could be Sabbathing and discerning together. Last month I had my first official Sabbath meeting with my mentor. Of all the weeks I spent trying to connect to God's spirit alone in my apartment, I never felt God's presence so strongly as when my mentor and I, in the same room, both shut or eyes and just listened.

Be well.

Rick G(unn)

A Future Not Our Own

 

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view. 

The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.

 

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. 

Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession

brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church's mission.

No set of goals and objectives include everything.

 

This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water the seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

 

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

 

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

 

-- Archbishop Oscar Romero

Jan 13-19 Sabbath Reflection

Greetings fellow Sabbathers,

The reading I chose for this week is attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero called A Future Not Our Own.  I hadn't seen this until a few months ago and when I read it for the first time it really hit me...this is what I do, I get so caught up in the 'details' of life and pastoral ministry that I forget that I can't do it all, that everything doesn't depend on me.  If I truly take that to heart then I can honestly and with integrity 'own' my sabbath time.  To quote the the reading 'We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.  This enables us to do something, and do it very well.'  If we each take a step back from running the world, take our sabbath time and rest then we can do all the somethings that allow God to be present in our lives and in our world.  It also helps if we surround ourselves with family and friends who can remind us that we aren't running the world, just planting seeds.  I think this applies especially to ministry with youth, sometimes we can get overwhelmed with the enormity of our task and feel like we have to be all things to all people to succeed...the wisdom offered by Archbishop Romero helps us to see that even if we don't see the end results God's grace is at work through us and in the lives of young people...

Happy Sabbathing!!

Shannon

A Sabbath Poem

My Soul Longs For the Sabbath

I want to rest from being who everyone else knows me to be.

I want to rest from being put together and up to speed
– I want to fall apart and to fall behind.
I want to stop making the same mistakes
– the ones I make when I never stop.
I want to stop hurting people for a time
– and to mourn and to cry.
I want to be suspended between the strong tall towers of obligation
– in a hammock dreaming.

I want to float where I have stumbled,
dance where I am chained,
lose where I have found.

I want to say NO where my dutiful YES has chimed forth!
I want to have six devoted days worthy of a holy seventh!
I want to lay down the burden of my ego in the soft warm cradle of tenderness!
I want to know the truth, and to speak the truth and to let it destroy me!

I want to stop measuring my worthiness and “love-ability”
– and be weak and powerful and naked.
I want to release my strength and kneel down
– still and silent as it crumbles into deep dark soil.
I want to dangle on the branches of my life’s deepest purpose
– and to ripen into richest colour and flavour.

I want to need someone again,
I want to need someone again.

I want to give away what I have kept,
fall down from where I have climbed,
receive the deepest blessing of inheritance
which is mine to share with another
in the wide restful heart of the Sabbath.

And I want to stop wanting.


Christopher Giffen
January 08

Scripture for Dec 30th - Jan 5th: Leviticus 25:1-12

Alison's thoughts...

I've been reading a great book, "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs. This is a non-fiction year long account of Jacobs attempting to live out every law in the entire bible (both old and new testements). Each chapter is based on a month of the year and for various days he records a particular law that he attempts to follow literally that day and discusses how well he was able to integrate it into his life. Once a law is incorporated one day, he is to continue with it for the rest of the year. His thoughts on sabbath have really stood out for me.

In discussing the Jubilee aspect of Sabbath, letting the land rest and forgiving debts or IOUs and on a personal part not working during the sabbath, he reminded me of how this applies to our year of Sabbath. Our attempt of not having many face to face meetings where we would need to travel across the country to gather, which would add polutants to the air and such, our use of online resources like the blog and this facebook group (not to mention email) to lessen the excessive use of paper to communicate. No doubt we've had some challenges with these forms of communication and we've learned how to make the best of them, and communication is happening.

One of the things that I've learned so far in my Sabbath journey this year is how difficult it is for me to remember to take my Sabbath time. I get so busy and wrapped up in all the work that I'm doing, that I forget or I procrastinate, "I'll just take my time tomorow"...it's been tough most weeks. Then I came across this passage by Jacobs.

"Day 97. It's a Tuesday afternoon in December, but I feel like I've just experienced my first real Sabbath.

Let me explain: The doorknobs in our apartment fall off on an alarminly regular basis. They're mercurial little suckers. We don't even need to be touching them -it's more of a natural-life-cycle type of situation, like icebergs calving or my hairline retreating. I'll be in bed, reading my Bible, and I'll hear a thud and know that another doorknob succumbed to gravity.

Usually, I screw the knob back on. Problem solved -for a week or two anyway. No bid geal. But this morning, it became a big deal. At 9:30am I stop typing my emails and shuffle over to the bathroom -and close the door behind me. I don't realise what I've done until I reach for the nonexistent inside doorknob. It had molted sometime during the night.

For the first ten minutes, I try to escape. I bang on the door, shourt for help. Now answer. Julie is away at a meeitng, and Jasper is out fwith his babysitter. I've seen Ocean's Eleven, so I know to look for the grill in the ceiling that I can unscrew, climb into, slither through an air chute, drop into my neighbor's bedroom, make a clever comment like 'just thought I'd drop in,' and then return home. No grill. I'm trapped.

The next half-hour I spend going through a checklist of worst-case scenarios...

Even more stressful to me is that the outside world is speeing along without me. Emails are being answered. Venti lattes are being sipped. George Bush's childhood friends are being appointed to high-level positions...

But I'm ok with it. It doesn't cause my shoulders to tighten. Nothing I can do about it. I've reached an unexpected level of aceeptance. For once I'm savoring the present. I'm admiring what I have, even if it's 32 square feet of face marble and an angled electrical outlet. I start to pray. And perhaps for the first time, I pray in true peace and silence with out glancing at the clock, without my brain hopscotching from topic to topic.

This is what Sabbath should feel like. A pause. Not just a minor pause, but a major pause. Not just a lowerin gof the volume, but a muting. As rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel put it, the Sabbath is a sanctuary in time."(The Year of Living Biblically, pg 123)

So based on that, I'm not going to look myself in my bathroom. But I have a renewed sense of encouragement that the practice of Sabbath is hard work for some of us, and in the most unexpected experience Sabbath may be found. Over Christmas I was very ill with what the doctor said was early pneumonia or broncitis, I've had this over a dozen times in my life and every time I get really sick and run down and tired. I try to keep doing all that I can and then I hit a wall and all I can manage to do is rest at home (not really sleep because the constant coughing keeps me up for at least 20 hours a day). On Christmas morning, I woke up at 4:00am. As I drank water and read, I sat and I prayed. No one else was up yet, they wouldn't start to get up for about an hour (my Dad and my sister's in-laws get up before the sun rises). I realized that was my sabbath time during the Christmas business.

Have you ever entered into a non-planned Sabbath time? (such as being locked in a bathroom or awaking way too early, etc)