from the President
Shabbat and Shalom
T
hose of you who have been involved, directly or indirectly, in Alcoholics Anonymous programs will know that participants often provide a confession in light of a crisis and a story in light of a standard. The confession and the story commence in a typical way: My name is ____ and I am an alcoholic. My name is Rod and I have been a Sabbath-breaker my whole life. The crisis that provoked this confession took place in Wales last summer. On the encouragement of the Chair of the Board of Governors at Regent College, my wife and I took a nine-week mini-sabbatical in Wales. It was a fitting end to intense years devoted to the “Writing the Next Chapter” campaign. We did not use a cell phone, a computer, the Internet, or e-mail and had no regular use of a car. We walked, read, slept, ate, talked and moved from a lifestyle characterized by doing and performing into one that was marked by silence, contemplation, and being. For my wife, Bev, the early days of the sabbatical were exciting and rejuvenating. To be in a small town with no commitments was energizing and replenishing for her and she thrived on it. For me it was a very difficult first month. I experienced significant withdrawal pains, both psychologically and physically, and found myself lost without the presence of a schedule, commitments and demands from others. I yearned for work and
Kudos Rikk Watts will be attending a prestigious by-invitation-only conference in Jerusalem, June 4-7. The conference addresses the topic of Historiography and the Historical Jesus. We also wish him well as he embarks on the Victoria to Maui transpacific yacht race at the end of June.
The Regent World Winter 2008, Volume 20, Number 2
Editor Dal Schindell Interim Editor Stacey Gleddiesmith Designer Rosi Petkova, Jeff Ducklow 2
production and was troubled by having nothing to do. For me it was a significant crisis. I grew up in a church environment where messages on the Sabbath were filled with rules and regulations. As is true with all humanly constructed religious rules, there was so much duplicity in the system that it became humorous. While I take full responsibility for my own personal life and do not want to blame history, it is true that I was given a very poor theological foundation upon which I could build my life of worship, work and play. The result was that the Sabbath became irrelevant and insignificant to me. This was intensified by a family environment that was well intentioned, but prized doing over being. What you did was very important, and it is no surprise that this kind of family system produced three children who have ten university degrees between them and have been “successful” by very particular standards. While rest and replenishment were acknowledged as important, they often became a prelude to more work, viewed as a means to an end rather than having value in and of themselves. As a result, there was a significant gulf fixed between my own story and the biblical story, between my own work life and the work life of the Father. The crisis in Wales gave me a fresh understanding of Psalm 121:4. The one “who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” I can rest in that truth not just as theology, but also as a practical reality. God still tends to Regent College and all the other things I am involved in while I am sleeping. My conscientious wakefulness is not a pre-requisite for making things happen. God is the only one who never sleeps. The crisis in Wales made me realize in a new way that God’s economy is based on a tapestry of replenishment and work and that the former is not to be pursued so we can work harder and longer but so that God can be seen in both the contemplative
and in the active. The exclusive pursuit of Sabbath or of work runs risks at both ends. The crisis in Wales provoked me to understand that I need to take God’s example literally. And so, I have had a new rhythm since my return. For 24 of the 168 hours in my week I do not use the computer or access the Internet, Regent concerns are placed aside, and life is characterized by a slower pace and a less hurried step. In the past eight months, I have been surprised by how the regular practice of Shabbat has produced an unexpected outcome—a deepening sense of Shalom. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
Rod Wilson President, Regent College
We are very pleased to announce that the Verda Rochon Award for Distinguished Service to the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPPE/ACPEP) has been awarded posthumously to Nicholas Wilson, alum of Regent College. This award is intended for those who consistently go beyond the high standards set by the CAPPE/ACPEP. This is the first time the award has been bestowed posthumously. Nicholas was given the Verda Rochon Award because he was beloved for his presence, spirit, humour, compassion, leadership and wisdom, but he was also an avid gardener and served as the inspiration for the theme of this year’s CAPPE/ACPEP conference: “Return to the Garden: Cultivation Growth, Hope and Healing.” Kudos continued on p. 11
Writers Illustrator
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