Contemplative Corner
Resting in God By: Pastor Claire Cassell
I have had a contemplative spirit from the time I was a little girl. Of course, I didn’t know what contemplation was at that time, but since then, I have discovered that contemplation is basically slowing down enough to rest in God in the midst of our busy lives. Resting in God can take many different forms. When I think of resting in God, the word that comes to me is “Sabbath.” The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat, which means “to cease,” “to end,” or “to rest.” One of the ten commandments is: Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Many of us remember the time when everything was closed on Sundays and we had a sense that Sundays were a special day set aside for rest, family, and recreation. In today’s culture, Sundays are often just as busy as any other day of the week, but if we look at the spirit of the Sabbath, we realize that it’s more about a mindset of mindfulness. Slowing down enough to take a deep breath and ask God for guidance…slowing down enough to take a walk and really look at the beauty of creation and feel the earth beneath our feet….. slowing down enough to turn off our cell phones and other electronic devises for an hour or two of being totally present to our loved ones. I am currently taking a nine-month course called, “the Contemplative Living Experience” through the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver. Fifteen of us gather for a weekend once a month and we learn different contemplative practices such as Centering Prayer, Spiritual Reading, and discernment. The course is designed to help us
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integrate contemplation into our daily lives. One of the practices we focused on in our last weekend was “Sabbath Keeping.” As a pastor, I am often working on Sundays, so I’ve had to be creative and intentional about my Sabbath keeping. I recently decided to renew my commitment to keeping the Sabbath by finding regular times in my day, week, and month, that I intentionally rest in God. I keep my “God Time” for 15-20 minutes in the mornings where I am totally present with God and I schedule at least one day a week for rest and rejuvenation with my family. I also hope to schedule retreat times away at least quarterly to be alone with God. I invite you to join me on the contemplative journey by finding your own rhythm of resting in God. Feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to talk about this with a fellow traveler! I am also available for spiritual direction and life coaching. Don’t hesitate to reach out. Blessings on your journey, Pastor Claire pastorclaire@abidinghope.org 720-775-6673 Here are a few resources: Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel Center for Contemplative Living 3650 Yates Street, Denver, CO Phone: 303-698-7729 (offer classes, retreats and workshops, Sept – May)
