Sabbath

The concept of Sabbath is introduced in the Biblical creation narrative, when God rests on the seventh day after completing all of His work of creating the world.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:1-3 ESV

But God does not rest because he was tired, exhausted from His work of creating.  He creates the Sabbath for His creation by establishing this pattern of rest for everything.  He composed a rhythm to life and He continues to reinforce this with his instructions for collecting the manna during Israel’s exodus from Egypt and when the Law is handed down to Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.  God even embeds this rhythm in the land.

“Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” Exodus 16:26 ESV

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11 ESV

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. Leviticus 25:2 ESV

I know this.  It is ingrained into my being…BUT…I resist.  Most times not intentionally.  I often get caught up with doing, producing and become a slave to my work, to creating and to my schedule.  They own me and there is no rhythm to my life.

How do I correct this?  The first step is recognizing the need for Sabbath.  The next step is mastering the art of the pause.

Last weekend I attended a retreat at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.  My dear friend Tim organized the retreat.  He has a long-standing relationship with a spiritual director there, one of the Jesuit priests.  I admit that I was a little anxious and confused about what the experience would be like, not knowing what to expect.  I found it to be a wonderful respite, a refuge in a busy world.  The Jesuit Center has morphed from a training grounds for Jesuit priests to a place of refuge and contemplation where spiritual directors conduct retreats based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola.  There was another retreat in silence while we were there so we were asked to only speak when we were in our meeting and dining room.  By the time we left, we learned to appreciate the quiet, the silence and speaking only when necessary.

The facility itself is a gorgeous piece of design and architecture.  Designed by McGinnis and Walsh in the English Renaissance style, it sits on 250 acres of rolling land outside of Reading.  We approached the site from busy Route 422 at rush hour and turned onto the meandering Church Road that led to the gates of the facility.  Pulling into the driveway, we were first greeted by the impressive “house” building as it is affectionately called.  The ground level is lined by a cloister of arches guiding you to the main entrance.

Lisa and I parked our car, braved the windy cold approach on foot and checked in Friday evening.  We found our rooms first.  Each was the size of a modest dorm type room equipped with a small twin bed, a dresser, a desk, and  a comfortable chair.  There were separate bathrooms and shower rooms for men and women.  Each room of the facility was designed with impressive, thick stained woodwork trims and baseboards.  A large window afforded a view to the landscaped grounds and a radiator produced an impressive amount of heat.  I was struck by the beautiful simplicity.

Despite the fact that we were asked to respect the other retreat group meeting in silence, something about the design of the facility just drew you into a silent, reflective and reverent attitude.  We witnessed a beautiful sunset on the way to the Jesuit Center, so once we arrived it was dark adding even more to the ambiance.  For a large facility constructed in 1928 with most of the amenities original, energy conservation was clearly in place.  Only necessary lights were left on creating the mysterious, cavernous, laire-like feel of the facility.

We dined together and had a time of devotion and centering.  Tim gave us a brief tour of the facility including the impressive chapel.  All seven of us walked inside and literally stood for about 2 minutes without saying a single word.  It was not necessary.  The power of design and lighting to usher you into worship was not lost on me.

We then split up to wander the facility on our own, read, pray and prepare for bed.  I got settled in my room, read, journaled for a bit, and then walked the “house” a bit more.  By the end of the night the only sound I heard was the squeaking of my sneakers as they pressed into the travertine floors.  The sound echoed off the cavernous walls.

I spent some time in prayer in the Chapel and then went back to my room, read and journaled some more and then turned in for the night.  I slept pretty soundly, woke just before 6:00am, showered, got dressed, read and journaled some more and spent some time in the Chapel again before breakfast.  After breakfast, I worked up enough courage to venture out into the wind and cold for a brisk walk of the facility.

I intentionally did not bring my camera along because I did not want it to distract me or others from the peace and serenity of the our time there.  I was forced to pull out my iPhone and snap some shots to capture the inspiration along my quick walk around the “house.”  These are displayed throughout the post.

We met as a group in the morning for a brief devotion.  Following this time, we had the opportunity to meet with one of the spiritual directors.  I chose to meet with Father Joe Currie, based on his biography detailing his time in India which I found interesting.  This was a great time of conversation.  Spiritual directors are trained in listening and working with you to remove obstacles in your life that separate you from a more intimate relationship with God.  After hearing about my busy schedule and my desperate attempt to balance everything, he referred me to Jesus’ frequent habit of pulling aside and spending time in prayer despite the demands of people on him.  He also drew my attention to all the amazing blessings in my life and asked a simple question.  ”Do you spend time at the end of the day processing what happened?”    He challenged me to practice this.  The process does not take long but it becomes an act of worship, giving thanks to God for all the opportunities to partner with Him during that day.  In the context of our conversation, Father Joe shared this great quote with me: “For all that has been, Thank you. For all that is to come, Yes!” ― Dag Hammarskjöld

I spent the rest of the day holed up in the library reading Merton’s Thoughts in Solitude, the Bible, journaling and praying.  It was a wonderfully restful and peaceful time.  I was really able to reconnect with God and refocus my life on his plan and purpose for it.  I longed for more time when it came time to leave.  But as Father Joe told me, the goal is to be able to take what I learned and practically apply it to the rhythm of my life.  And so I am savoring each moment of my life and learning to master the art of the pause, as I reclaim the rhythm of Sabbath.  

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Tags: god, rhythm, the jesuit center, wernersville, pennsylvania, sabbath, father joe currie, rest, mcginnis and walsh, Dag Hammarskjöld, merton, thoughts in solitude