Sabbath Times
Some of you read the reflection in the bulletin…if not, here is part one…part two is in the video below along with the tools I recommend.
We are all on a spiritual journey including those of us who serve in ministry and on parish staffs. We are no different than the person in the pew in that respect. As I’ve been working to strengthen my mental health post-COVID, I’ve spent a lot of time looking at my attachments – the things that hold my attention and sometimes keep my attention from God and my Gospel values. One of my major areas of disoriented attachment is my relationship with Sabbath times. I know I am not alone in this, but I have come to see any down time in my life as either time to catch up on the things on which I am behind or time to rest in order to get back to the very thing I’m supposedly needing rest from. This, my friends, is NOT Sabbath. Sabbath is not just about Sunday, though Sunday worship is a central and un-missable part, but Sabbath is also about taking intentional time to step back from the world and reground ourselves in God’s mercy and ultimate provision.
God never intended Sabbath to be a bonus. God intended Sabbath to be counter-cultural and relationship-building. God gave us the 4th commandment to honor the Sabbath after he freed the Israelites from the tyranny of the Egyptian pharoah’s relentless economy. He set the Sabbath in direct contrast to the never-ending work of the Egyptians. Jesus reaffirmed the need for Sabbath in the New Testament when he said in the Gospel of Mark, ““The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” Sabbath is a gift and one that God knew we needed. If we see Sabbath as a resistance to the rat race, it is also then a removal of the competition created by the rat race, which allows us to see our neighbors as companions, not competition. It allows us an even ground from which to spend time with God and others and build relationship with others.
While we could spend a nice long cup of coffee discussing when and the reasons why the world has lost a sense of Sabbath, that is less helpful than a conversation about what Sabbath can look like. Obviously, worshipping God at Mass is a huge piece of Sabbath because it centers us in our Creator, our Savior and our community. Beyond that, I’d like to share with you some examples of what Sabbath looks like for me and what tools I use to create “Sabbath moments” within my week. There certainly isn’t enough space here so I’m going to finish my reflection by video on our website www.saintsdepere.org/news/sabbathtimes. I hope you’ll join me there! (And you can find out the story behind the strawberry photos…)
Ignatian Examen Tools - https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/#variations
You’ll find lots of variations of the Examen here, but ultimately it is about seeing where God was present and absent in your life. Don’t over-complicate it. God knows your heart, but these are ways to keep learning yourself and bringing that before God.
SACRED Prayer Process (by Ann Voskamp, click here for Ann’s version) - I use the first four in the morning and the last two in the evening, but all prayer practices are meant to be formed to you and your relationship with God so do what works!
Stillness - How can I slow and still to be with God today?
Attentiveness - Who do I say that God is today? Where am I coming from and where am I going today? What do I want today?
Cruciformity - What do I need to surrender today to live more like Jesus?
Revelation - What does scripture say to me today?
Examine - What am I afraid of today? Where is there uncertainty?
Doxology - What can I thank God for today?