What Keeps You?
As in “holds” you.
Steadies you.
Provides structure to your days,
week or year?
My morning yoga practice “keeps” me.
For my sister, it’s her morning run.
For a dear friend and colleague,
it’s her morning cup of coffee!
When my daughter was young,
our evening ritual
of reading a book out loud before bed
“kept” us on track.
We had other rituals,
like the blessing on her forehead
before she got on the bus.
For more than 30 years
my annual pilgrimage
to Assateague Island,
where I live in a tent,
and camp with the wild ponies
for three weeks
“keeps” me.
During this time by the ocean,
I listen deeply for Spirit’s wisdom
for this particular season of my journey.
Wayne Mueller,
in his introduction
to his book, “Sabbath”, says,
“Just so, during Sabbath the Jews,
by keeping sacred rest,
could maintain their spiritual ground
wherever they were,
even in protracted exile
from their own country.
It was not Israel that kept the Sabbath,
it is said,
but the Sabbath kept Israel.”
I often weep when I read these words,
“the Sabbath kept Israel”.
It conjures the image for me
of holy holding.
Of standing in a circle of candlelight,
as the shadows try to press in around me.
The sense of being held
by Love’s embrace,
releases tears of gratitude,
and relief.
This is the gift.
But how quickly
we turn it
into a work.
A religious obligation.
A “supposed to.”
In a culture
that tells us incessantly
to stay busy,
and be productive,
stepping away from the plow,
the email,
the “to-do” list,
can be challenging.
Being given sacred permission
to stop,
to trust that Love holds
what we release,
encourages us to try.
Summer is the perfect
Sabbath season
to practice leaning into rest.
Most of our schedules shift.
They become lighter.
In the open spaces,
I encourage you to try
a sabbath practice.
It can look like
a slow walk after dinner,
a long soaking Epsom salt bath,
an afternoon puzzling,
cooking for the creative joy of it,
a nap in the hammock,
or reading instead of vacuuming.
Not because you “have to”.
But to practice saying no to the cultural demand
of busyness and productivity,
To practice saying yes to the gift of rest.
To experience what it feels like,
when “we don’t have to keep the Sabbath”,
but instead discover the gift
“of Sabbath keeping us”.
Shalom!
Pastor Mary