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
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