The Sabbath is a time to realize the coming of God’s kingdom. Part of the reason much of Christian tradition has played down Sabbath practice is not because the Sabbath is unimportant, but because the Sabbath reality of restoration and reconciliation is to be expanded to all time. A practice of the Sabbath is then a practice of what should be our reality Monday, Tuesday, and so on. Today spend part of your Sabbath blessing other and the creation. In... Read more
Many training gyms around the country reserve Saturday for a free day. It’s a time to come in, work on your weaknesses, and take a break from the normal programming of the gym. Sometimes we need the same for our soul. Today, take a free day. Maybe you need to work on contemplative prayer, so spend some time in that. Maybe you need to reach out to your neighbors and get over fear of people different from you, so do... Read more
Eat nothing today and don’t drink anything with calories or sweetness until 5 PM. Throughout the day, keep a running list of your cravings, both spiritual and culinary. Do you crave donuts and then find yourself wanting to be entertained? Do you hunger for bread? And crave rest? At the end of the day compare your cravings for food and your spiritual cravings. What do they have to say about each other? Read more
Today make an enemies list. Think about those who have wronged you, who have it out for you, people you would avoid if you could. Create different categories–people you know personally, enemies you don’t know personally (TV commentators who always get under your skin might come to mind), and then national enemies–those we go to war against militarily or economically. Then spend time, however long it takes, praying through that list. Pray for the forgiveness of your enemies, for their... Read more
We have short cuts on our computer desktops, we take them in our work and in our life. Shortcuts are the stuff of modern accelerated life, but it is the long way, the scenic route where we discover others and ourselves, where we are open enough to welcome serendipities. Today take the long way as much as possible. Walk to work or ride a bike or take a bus. Linger over lunch. Single task. Do what ever you can to... Read more
We don’t listen very much. We post, we tweet, we read and respond, but we don’t listen to other people and really try to understand. What if instead of a series of debates we had a series of presidential listenings where the task was for each side to gain from the other as full an understanding as possible of their position. Would we not know more at the end of such listenings than we do after the fairly empty rhetoric... Read more
Psalm 108 is a song for morning. Imagine greeting the dawn with these verses as a song to God. It is time to wake up the world–both within and without–to God’s glory and goodness. Psalm 108:1-5 (NRSV): A Song. A Psalm of David. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples,... Read more
On the Sabbath avoid anything with a power button or an ignition switch. Live that day without digital technology and spend as much time as possible in nature. If you feel anxiety at not having a phone or some way to update the world of your doings via Facebook or Twitter, relax. God has done all that matters and we can simply delight in what is here, now. Read more
For the gospel reading this Sunday (Mark 10:35-45), write a poem. Reflect on the meaning of the passage and try to write a poem about it. It doesn’t have to rhyme or fit some standard meter. Just try to express the meaning of passage through images and words. Read more
The Exercise: Eat no food and drink nothing with calories until 5 PM The Why: Fasting helps us to learn to both control our hungers and to redirect them. It requires a higher level of consciousness to fast, recognizing all of the times throughout the day when we eat mindlessly. By fasting we make eating an intentional act and we turn our hunger to our first food, which is God. Read more
Word + Flesh
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