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Interim Rector's Reflection
"Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy."
(Exodus 20:8)
"If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call the sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs;
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then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 58:13-14)
When the weather outside beckons us to play and delight in creation, I wonder why all I really want to do is take a nap. I fear it is because I have been "trampling the sabbath." It is easy to get caught in the whirlwind of our culture and our community. Washington is a city where we are judged by performance and products. How many hours billed this week? How many widgets produced this week? How many Bible verses read this week?
Take some time to honor the Sabbath. This may look a little different than what we traditionally think of as Sabbath. It may be a walk in the park during your lunch hour. It might be reading a book just for fun. Perhaps it is writing a letter to an old friend. It could even be taking advantage of some of the retreat centers nearby. What sets aside this time from the rest is that it is an intentional moment where you slow down and breathe in the grace of God.
Or as the author of Isaiah put it, the Sabbath is time you honor.
For when you honor your time, and yourself, you honor God.
Faithfully,
Elizabeth
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Spirituality & Ministry 
