WElcome to Week Six of Ordinary Time

Meditation by Anna Gabhart

Isaiah 43:1-2

But now thus says the Lord,

    he who created you, O Jacob,

    he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

    I have called you by name, you are mine.

 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

    and the flame shall not consume you.

I came across an image this week in Wayne Muller’s book Sabbath — Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives. I was flipping through seeking out words or practices that would lead me in my own sabbath when I landed in the chapter titled Fear of Rest. 

I’ll be honest, there are lots of things that bring me fear: viruses, severe pain, snakes, passing school buses (I’ll admit, this one’s a bit irrational). But rest? Am I afraid to rest? 

The image from Muller’s book is of a boy standing on the edge of a quiet glossy lake skipping stones. The first skip is straight and fast gliding across the still water, barely getting wet. The second skip is crooked and slow, hitting the water once and disappearing into the unknown.   

“We do not want to disappear, Muller says. “If we slow down we might be pulled by some gravity to the bottom of our feelings, we might drown in all we have lost. So we keep moving, never finding refuge, never touching the tendernesses that propel us into a life of speedy avoidance.” 

Am I afraid to rest? 

Absolutely. 

I’m afraid of the quiet, afraid of my own thoughts. I’m afraid of the lost dreams, the lost loves, the lost youth that dwell in the depths. I’m afraid of the emptiness, the nothingness that I might be faced with at the bottom. 

But then I am reminded once more, “do not be afraid,” because it is in that quiet stillness, in that nourishing rest, that God dwells. From the void, the empty, the nothingness he brings beauty.

Prompt

With pen and paper, find a quiet space to rest even if just for a moment. In fact, I’d suggest bringing a timer. 

Make a list of 10 things or places where you find rest. 

Set the timer for 10 minutes. 

Choose one of the things or places on your list and write about it. 

Write a story, write a prayer, write whatever comes to mind. Don’t second guess yourself or self edit. Just write.

Music:

“ Do Not Be Afraid,” from “Among the Thorns, Music and Text: Andy Bast, 2018.