The Practice of Sabbath
Every Sunday writer and farmer Wendell Berry goes into the woods and writes a Sabbath poem. This is one of them:
Whatever is foreseen in joy
Must be lived out from day to day.
Vision held open in the dark
By our ten thousand days of work.
Harvest will fill the barn;
for that the hand must ache, the face must sweat.
And yet no leaf or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled
And left to grace. That we may reap,
Great work is done while we are asleep.
When we work well, a Sabbath mood
Rests on our day, and finds it good.
(Wendell Berry, A Timbered Choir : The Sabbath Poem 1979-1997)
7 Suggestions for practicing Sabbath Rest:
- Put your phone away. Silence it, place it in a drawer, or ask someone to keep it for you. Use your phone's emergency call settings so that only your children, spouse, or family members can reach you if they have to.
- Take a nap.
- Lie down in your yard, on your porch, or in a public park. Watch the clouds. Then, close your eyes and listen. Offer a prayer of gratitude.
- Make a list of things for which you are grateful.
- Write God a letter.
- Take a mindful walk.
- Read in bed. Allow yourself to doze off.
(suggestions from: J. Dana Trent, For Sabbath's Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community)
Together we are the hands and feet of Jesus,
Brett
