Sabbath: An unreachable luxury?
(Licensed Lay Ministers Conference 2008)
By Debo Dykes
Many of us have thought of the term "Sabbath" to mean a defined length of time set aside from ordinary worldly pursuits. Yet, in a more general sense "Sabbath" need not refer to an entire day, but could be just a few minutes in which the mind is engaged in meditation, prayer or devotion. During the Licensed Lay Ministers Conference, Gay Yerger, Jane Watts, and Ellen Gabardi encouraged participants to recognize that such time is necessary to appreciate fully our capabilities as caring people of God.
The Sabbath practices which Gay, Jane, and Ellen introduced during the conference are doable in our every day lives and it was suggested that picking one or two will definitely add a new dimension to one’s day. In light of the continuing difficulties on our country, our Church, and the world, we could all use a little peace and Sabbath in our lives.
The Gray Center Chapel was transformed into a variety of “Sabbath” selections. Participants of the LLM conference were invited to choose a “Sabbath” station and immerse one’s self in the experience of “rest”. Among their options were rock polishing, sweeping, planting, ironing, painting, weaving, hammering, and labyrinth walking.
For those participants of the LLM conference, “Sabbath” no longer sounds like an incredible, or unreachable luxury. It is now a daily invitation to pause a moment or two, to resort our values, to treasure our relationships, to renew our bodies and spirits, and to be present with God. Thank you, Gay, Jane, and Ellen for the gift of “Sabbath”.
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