The flowers outside the front of The Village have died. Well, most of them. Not all. We planted a few flowers in some pots a few weeks ago, at the beginning of the Spring planting season. But the person who was going to water them, got sick and couldn’t do it. It happens. And her back-up person fell through. It happens. And so, most of the plants have died. And so this morning, our kids are planting some new flowers. They are reading the story of creation, and getting to have some fun digging in the dirt and being part of God’s creative work in the world. The plants died, because we simply did not have the people resources to water them, and give them some plant food. I learned in talking to the folks at Barrow’s Nursery yesterday, that those flowers like plant food every week or so. Wow! They need some attention to look beautiful and healthy!
Don’t we all? Don’t we all, need some care and attention to feel good and to look good, down to our very souls?
This is actually God’s design. We read about it in the very first chapter of the very first book in our collection of holy books called the Holy Bible, in the creation story in Genesis.
In Genesis, we read about God creating the world. Day by day, so the story goes, God created the heavens and the earth, the sea creatures, the plants, the birds of the air, and at the end of day one, two, three and so on, God pronounced it good. And on day seven, God rested.
And so God calls us to have a rhythm to our days as well: to work on some days, and to have a day of rest, a day for our souls to be fed. God calls us to have a rhythm so that our lives do not become dried out and weary like those dead plants outside. Instead, we find ways to feed our souls.
Now in some religious practices, this idea of Sabbath has been really structured with lots of rules about what you can and cannot do, and in some other practices, Sabbath simply means that we remember to slow down.
This summer, I am inviting us here at The Village to practice that second kind. Let’s have a Sabbath Summer.
Over the next few weeks in worship, we are going to have some fun, as we give ourselves an invitation to take a breath, and rest in God. After all, Sunday is our Sabbath. This is our day, to reconnect with God. This is our day to ask God to feed and water the dried out places in our lives.
One of the practices I have found most useful in my own spiritual life, is the prayer walk. Perhaps this is something you do already. But if not, I invite you to try it this summer. There are many variations. The prayer walk is a spiritual practice that has deepened my own connection to God over the last 5 or 6 years. You see, one interpretation of Sabbath, is that you set aside a whole day for God. But sadly, for some of us, that is just never going to happen. Another way to practice Sabbath is to think about it as a state of mind, a moment, a few minutes, a break in the day, when you pause to take a breath. It’s a time to remember that you belong to God and that when God created the world, God asked us to take a break now and then to STOP. And so a Prayer Walk is a great way to take a Sabbath break, anytime, anywhere, for any length of time.
I often take a Prayer Walk in the morning, after I get the kids off to school (and Kurt off to work). I might have a cup of coffee, sitting on my front porch. I might read one of the on-line devotionals that we have links to on our Village web site, or do a bit of journaling, or just sit and listen to God in some centering prayer, and then I take a walk. I look at the beauty of God in creation. I try not to think about the news of the day, or my to-do list. I just open myself to God. I just open my eyes to what God is showing me in creation. I just listen for what God has to say to my soul. I breathe deeply. I tend to stroll. It could be a brisk walk, for a bit of exercise, but this is not really a cardio work out, this is a soul work out.
I cannot tell you how much clearer my head, and my soul feel, when I start the day with one of these Sabbath walks. Now, there are other variations. I might also take a Prayer Walk when I am in turmoil over something and I just need to clear my mind and create space for God. Many times I take a Prayer Walk when I need direction and I just need to calm myself and breathe, (again, breathing is crucial). On these prayer walks, by the end, I often find that God has given me clarity for a decision I need to make.
But most of all, I connect with God. This is the rhythm of Sabbath. This is why God asks us to take a day for God. This is why we come to worship every week. This is why we take a break to pray every day.
Because, you see, the world pulls us away from God, away from the God of creation. And we are the only ones who can decide to pay attention to God, and center ourselves back on God on a regular basis. God can ask us to do this. God can do all sort of things to try to get our attention – create beauty in the world, give us gifts of wonderful blessings, but we have to pay attention, and remember these gifts come from God. We have to pause, to remember the source of beauty and blessing.
So, I invite us to practice Sabbath this summer. There is a wonderful book, I suggest to you as a resource if you really want to dig into this. It is called “Sabbath” by Wayne Muller. In my own spiritual life, Muller’s book has helped me dig into the gift of the rhythm of Sabbath. I am going to read this book again this summer. It has wonderful exercises we can do, like the Prayer Walk, that encourage us to experience Sabbath moments throughout our week.
I also invite you to participate in our Summer Spiritual Retreat with our Village Spiritual Directors, Sr. Sandy and Sr. Breta, on July 16 at Swan Creek.
Most of all I invite you to make space for God this summer. Don’t take a vacation from God. Take a vacation TO God. Come worship here with God. Take walks in this beautiful creation with God. Sit and pray with God. BE with God. Practice Sabbath moments. Breathe in God’s presence. This can be a wonderful summer for all of us. And at the end of it, we won’t be like the dried out plants in front of our building. We will be blossoming glorious flowering creations of God ready to change the world! May it be so!
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