Sabbatical

 When I first started my last teaching job nine years ago, they offered a year of sabbatical every nine years. Can you imagine? One year to do and explore and learn that was paid! They took it away shortly after I was hired and I never made it. But guess what? We can take our own sabbatical any time. You are probably saying, there's no way. The world would come crashing to a halt if I took one year off, let alone one day. And I'm sure you'd be right. But what if we took moments of sabbatical? What if we took an hour a day? a minute an hour? One day a week? Here's a history of the Jewish feast of Sabbath. A day of rest. A day of quiet. No work. No labor. No striving. Sounds glorious, doesn't it? No travel, no cooking, no cleaning. That is impressive. (Ironically, this link here is from Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, PhD., a professor at Boston College, where we just got back from a visit with our daughter. It's all connected!)
 A sabbatical is a break or change from normal routines. Isn't it amazing that many spiritual traditions had this time built into their yearly calendars? I think we have something to gain from this ancient wisdom, something that we actually really need today, not just personally, but as a society too. Some of the words that are associated with sabbath, or Shabbat, are liberty, relaxation, rest, rejuvenation, respite, interim, breather, inspiration, observe, calming, renew, recharge, listen. What would that mean to you? What would it mean for you to be renewed or rejuvenated?

 This Lent, we combine two traditions to create a new period of rest. One where we step off the treadmill and take time to be slow - intentionally slow, or at least slow-er. How can you find respite in your daily life? Choose one word that you can reflect on for just a moment. What does it mean to you? 

Prayers and blessings, my friend.