Shabbating

Another phone free Sunday for me. I'm relishing the feeling of putting the phone in a drawer on Saturday night, knowing that it won't come out again until Monday morning (though I did have to use it a couple of times today for emergencies). The idea of sabbath (shabbat) for resting means different things for different people, but for me the starting point is my phone. The constant looking, checking and wanting and the inability to be present is something that I simply want to take a day away from. It starts with the phone but ends up feeding into soul nourishment during the day. The brilliant Walter Brueggemann said this: 'people who keep sabbath lives all seven days differently'. As the busyness of life increases, I want to commit to doing rest properly.

This morning Ellie and I had a wonderful time at a Pontesbury church, sharing some thoughts about our work but mostly exploring wider partnership. It was a beautiful service and I'm always refreshed by the opportunity to worship in a tradition different to my own. Holy moments and thin places can take such wildly different forms and offer us a glimpse into the breadth of God's creativity. The welcome and encouragement we were offered from new friends was wonderful and we came away feeling richly blessed.

An afternoon of feasting, reading and planning followed. 

A phone break to receive some sad news about the death of family friend at 27 was a reminder of the fragility of life. 

Grace delivered some homemade dumplings this evening alongside conversations about institutionalised racism and unhelpful attitudes towards diversity.