by Christine Sine
Last weekend I was down in Portland spending time with a good friend who happens to live right on one of the tributaries of the Columbia river. It is a beautiful restful place at which to relax and refresh, which is exactly what I did. In the process I took lots of photos and videos and wrote lots of poems. Here are a selection that I wrote paired with some of my videos.
The Stillness of the Morning
There is nothing quite like the stillness of the morning
to make me feel alive.
There is nothing like the beauty
of the sunrise over water
to make me sense the joy of God’s presence.
And walk in awe, and wonder
for the rest of the day,
There is nothing like birdsong
to make me feel.
I am entering into the wonder of creation.
There is nothing like the joy of life
to make me feel the delight of God.
My spirit soars, my heart rejoices.
The joy of God is everywhere.
In the Morning Sunlight
I sit in the morning sunlight,
allowing my face to feel
the warmth of the dawning sun.
I sit in the presence of God,
Basking in the warmth of the divine love,
so beautiful,
so life-giving,
so much at the centre of my being.
I sit and breathe in the fragrance
And the joy of it.
Quiet Reflections
The new day emerges from the darkness of the night,
sun shines brightly on the river,
Quiet reflections,
beauty in a moment of stillness,
birdsong caressing my senses
with a delight in God’s world.
All is made new, a fresh, beginning
to start the glory of a new day
Moving Slowly
Everything seems to move at half speed
in the summer.
The sun rises early but lazily,
Slowly moving across the sky.
Unworried, unhurried, knowing exactly
where it is going.
Its glorious light rests in the assurance
of its created beauty.
Divine love guides it into another day.
A day in which every moment is unique
All things are possible.
In its golden glow the hope, joy,
and life of God abound.
In A Quiet Place
If you sit long enough,
In a quiet place,
The peace of God will invade your being.
Breathe softly,
Don’t move,
Allow the presence of the Holy One
To fill you.
Open the doors of your heart.
Dissolve the barriers in your head.
Destroy the bars that imprison your soul.
Sit still,
Welcome God into the the sacred centre,
Of your soul.
This week’s gospel reading in the lectionary includes one of my favorite passages. One that I talk about all the time and am learning to practice! In Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus invites us to REST! Many of you know that my hashtag is #RestisHoly. I am a recovering workaholic and have learned the value of practicing rest in order to thrive as a follower of Jesus in our crazy busy world.
Why is it so hard for us to stop and rest? What are your excuses?
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
We all need help when it comes to practicing rest! We all need to follow the example of Jesus who got tired and stopped along the way, who took time away from his ministry to be with God and be alone. We also need guides and practitioners to help us to learn the unforced rhythms of grace!
I want to introduce you to three amazing women of color who have new books that are helping me learn more about the practice of rest!
New books on REST
Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith talks about the SEVEN different types of rest. I had not idea there were seven different kinds of rest and that we need refreshment in ALL seven areas!
Pause Rest Be is by one of my favorite instagram follows, the wonderful Octavia Raheem. The full title is
Pause, Rest, Be: Stillness Practices for Courage in Times of Change. We really need Octavia’s wisdom right now. She is a yoga instructor so she includes body practices to help us actually PRACTICE rest!
And the third book is by another of my favorite women to follow on Instagram, Tricia Hersey, the Nap Minister. Her book is powerful and gives us all permission to stand against the power of the grind culture. Rest is Resistance
REST is Resistance
How is your summer going so far? What are the unforced rhythms of grace you’d like to practice between now and the fall?
What helps you actually REST?
Take time to practice REST
LOOK at the quotes below and pick one or two to consider with Jesus….What is Jesus saying to you about rest?
“ We cannot wait for the perfect space or opportunity to rest. REST NOW. Rest is not an extra treat that we must run to but more of a life long, consistent, and meticulous love practice. We must snatch rest.” Rev. Tricia Hersey The Nap Minister
“We must believe we are worthy of rest. We don’t have to earn it. It is our birthright. It is one of our most ancient and primal needs.” Rev. Tricia Hersey The Nap Minister
“Deprogramming our minds and hearts from our toxic brainwashing around naps and rest will increase our ability to craft a rest practice. Our slumber and opportunities for community care will be deeper because of our work in this area. Go slow and realize you have been brainwashed by a system that attaches your inherent worth to how much you can labor.” Rev. Tricia Hersey The Nap Minister
“Productivity should not look like exhaustion” Rev. Tricia Hersey The Nap Minister
“Grind culture is violence. Resist participating in it. “ Rev. Tricia Hersey The Nap Minister
“Any system that degrades and ignores our divine right to have care, rest, leisure’s and space must be examined and illuminated. The time is up for any shallow wellness work that doesn’t dismantle systems that are making us unwell. We must blame and interrogate the systems. They are the problem.” Rev. Tricia Hersey The Nap Minister
ALL Quotes found in REST as Resistance a Manefesto
Matthew 11:16-30 THE MESSAGE
16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
20 Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
What is Jesus saying to you? How is Jesus inviting you to practice rest?
LISTEN:
WATCH Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s TEDx TAlk on Rest
PRAY WITH ME:
Uncrowd my heart, O God,
Until silence speaks
In your still, small voice;
Turn me from the hearing of words, and the making of words,
And the confusion of much speaking,
To listening
To waiting
To stillness and
To Silence. In the name of Jesus AMEN
( based on a Prayer by Thomas Merton)
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Tuesday was Independence Day here in the U.S. No BBQs or parties for us this year, just a wonderful day to relax, take photos, watch fireworks and enjoy the beauty of God’s wonderful world. Part of what I enjoyed was writing the poem I posted yesterday as I sat and reflected on the beauty around me. It is very refreshing and renewing for me, which explains why this is a bit late. Several people last week shared the prayer I added to last week’s email. I have now added a video to it and you can check it out both on Facebook and Instagram.
I love that American Independence Day and Canada Day occur so close together. It helps to remind me that we are not independent but interdependent. Wherever in the world we live I feel it is a great time to reflect on this and on the meaning of freedom as I did in my Meditation Monday: What is Freedom; A Prayer for Independence Day. Lilly Lewin shared a similar theme in her Freerange Friday: Praying for Your Country in which she encouraged all of us to pray for our countries and for the injustices we see in them. Sandwiched between these was Steve Wickham’s important post The Heart of Tolerant Hospitality in Reconciliation. It seems to me that we cannot really celebrate our freedoms unless we can celebrate together when all the peoples of the world are free.
Celebration, freedom and hospitality all seem to revolve around each other, as is obvious in Brenda Warren Griffin’s post Celtic Hospitality and Welcome. https://godspacelight.com/
A big thank you Lori Shutrump who last week wrote: This edition and all of them are wonderful. I love your writing, insights, and support of other resources. You have created a community with which inspires, opens minds and encourages. You are truly gifted and a blessing to all.
I love reading comments that you send about your enjoyment of these newsletters and of the articles we post each day. Your interactions with what we write really help us to shape this ministry so please keep those comments coming.
Many blessings on you this week.
May the God who is One,
The God who is Three,
Bless and keep you
Wherever you may go.
Want to experience more of the awe and wonder that God offers us? Check out the Gift of Wonder Online Retreat by Christine Sine. This retreat allows for 180 days of access for only $39.99 so you can move through the sessions at your own pace.
Apologies, blogging our Canada Day post was a bit delayed.
by June Friesen
Happy Canada Day to many relatives as well as friends. Canada holds many memories for me from my early childhood. Growing up in North Dakota about 90 miles from the border of the United States and Canada we visited the Canadian border nearly every summer. The International Peace Gardens in the photo above was a favorite Sunday picnic place for our family. The above photo is from a visit about eight years ago. The water feature in the center runs on the border of Canada and the United States. As a child one of my favorite things was to save money and stock up on toffee that I could buy on the Canadian side. My grandmother loved the rose garden and there was a particular rose that attracted her eye. It did not have a name on it but she discovered that it was called ‘Peace Rose.’ She ordered at least one and it was her pride and joy when it bloomed every year.
God has gifted us with so many beautiful places worldwide. With different climates we have the opportunity to be blessed with many different species of plants as well as animals. When I visit gardens like these I am reminded that when God initially created the world it says He placed humanity in a beautiful, perfect garden. This garden was established as a symbol of peaceful relationship between the United States and Canada. On the west coast there is the Peace Arch park which in on the border which is also a beautiful place. In the Scriptures we are reminded throughout about how important it is for people to learn to live in peace, to be respectful of each other’s nation, to be respectful of all people and most of all to be prayerful for our countries as well as the leaders of our countries. Paul writes in Romans 13: 1-3 Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. 3-5 Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That’s why you must live responsibly not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live. 6-7 That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.
Here Paul encourages us to live as responsible and decent, law-abiding citizens. This is for anyone of us no matter what country where we live. In today’s world, with movement of people being rather easy for the most part one may find that you are not presently living in your birth country. Many years ago I chose to go to Canada to attend a Bible college. I completed a three year course and graduated. During that time I met a young man, a fellow student, who was from Canada; he now has been my husband for 51+ years. After our graduation we returned to our hometowns to further our education. Two years later we were married and we moved to Canada. I remember crossing the border with a list of my belongings as well as getting the paperwork and instructions for application to live in Canada. My husband assured me that I would not be living in the United States ever again so I worked on completing all of the necessary process so I could legally work and live in Canada. When our two boys were born, I still had my US citizenship and my husband assured me I did not need to register their births in the US. Fast forward 8 years and we found ourselves on our way to the United States for him to complete his seminary education. And as for today the past 43 years the United States has been our home. My husband and my sons are US citizens but have retained their Canadian citizenship as well. As a family we have done our best to maintain good citizenship in both countries. I admit that I may sometimes wonder when my husband especially will quit reminding me about Canadian customs or holidays yet it is important that we realize that God has told us we are to be respectful of where we live at all times.
(Montreal, Quebec)
Let me just share what I have learned over my lifetime that has blessed and enriched my life by spending several years in Canada as a resident. In the work force as a nurse I soon learned that there was several nationalities present as fellow employees as well as clients and there was an equal acceptance of all. When there were struggles it was more personal issues. I learned to be respectful as well as appreciative of new immigrants as well as those who were already first and second generation born. There was recognition of other’s cultures, dress, foods etc. It was in the first home we owned in Canada that I learned how to make from scratch real ‘Italian pasta sauce’ and the proper use of herbs and which herbs to use and not use for Italian cooking. You see my neighbor, who became a good friend, had only been in Canada about eight years. She loved nothing more than helping me learn about Italian cooking and traditions. Over the years of my life, I have been able to experience so much of the beauty that God created and placed in the beautiful country of Canada. As in any country there is variety in each and every province. For those of you reading this if you have not been to visit you will find it to be a place of unique beauty wherever you go. The seasons of the year are able to embraced quite fully anywhere and there is a unique beauty in each of the provinces. And for those who are residents I commend you for embracing your country and being the welcoming country that you are. God has blessed your nation with a uniqueness in so many ways – climate, countryside, cities, waterways, mountains, cities and humanity. Yes, today we salute Canada – Happy Canada Day.
Writing and photos by June Friesen. Scripture from The Message translation.
No matter the time of year, it’s important to pause and take time to reset and restore. An excellent way to do that? Take a personal retreat. Building a retreat into the rhythm of your life is a spiritual practice often lost in our helter-skelter, busyness-is-next-to-godliness world. This booklet is based on the most popular posts about spiritual retreats published on Godspacelight.com over the last few years and provides resources for taking a spiritual retreat either on your own or with a friend or spouse. Check it out in our shop!
by Christine Sine
I suffer from insomnia, something which I have just learned may be due to an imbalance of the meds that I am on. So I have my fingers crossed with the hope that my sleep will improve over the next few weeks.
I am not alone in my struggles with sleep. Roughly, 1 in 3 adults worldwide have insomnia symptoms, and about 10% of adults meet the criteria for insomnia disorder.
My struggles with sleep in the past often inspired me to write prayers in the middle of the night, breath prayers, prayers that welcome God into our day and into our night are my favorites. When I posted some of these prayers a few years ago, I was amazed at the number of people who responded with their own stories of sleeplessness and the frustration it caused them. Sleep deprivation is no fun for any of us. It often leaves us with a fuzzy head, an inability to think straight or do our job properly, irritability and a feeling of general malaise.
I have written about sleeplessness before but thought it was time to do a little more research on the subject. What I discovered is fascinating. First, do a google search on insomnia and the first thing that pops up is all the supplements that supposedly help with sleep. Then come the meditation exercises to help us relax, the breath prayers to say before we go to bed or when we wake prematurely. Insomnia is big business, and many of us are spending far too much to try and overcome it.
There are many different forms of insomnia. Some people can’t get to sleep, others, like me often fall asleep but then wake up a few hours later and can’t get back to sleep for a couple of hours, others sleep well initially but wake too early and can’t get back to sleep at all.
One of the forms of insomnia and the one that we most easily misunderstand is the biphasic pattern of sleep, wakefulness and then more sleep. Interestingly it might be a normal sleep pattern that many of us are trying to change.
According to this article by Natalie Wolchover
More than one-third of American adults wake up in the middle of the night on a regular basis. Of those who experience “nocturnal awakenings,” nearly half are unable to fall back asleep right away. Doctors frequently diagnose this condition as a sleep disorder called “middle-of-the-night insomnia,” and prescribe medication to treat it.
Mounting evidence suggests, however, that nocturnal awakenings aren’t abnormal at all; they are the natural rhythm that your body gravitates toward. According to historians and psychiatrists alike, it is the compressed, continuous eight-hour sleep routine to which everyone aspires today that is unprecedented in human history. We’ve been sleeping all wrong lately — so if you have “insomnia,” you may actually be doing things right.
Normal isn’t really normal at all. According to Natalie and a growing number of other researchers. Until the invention of the electric light most people slept in four hour blocks, waking in the middle of the night for an hour or two in which they prayed, conversed together, made love or went for walks. Electric light meant we could stay up later. Instead of going to bed for 12-14 hours we suddenly only spent 8 hours or less in bed and expect to get all our sleep done in one go. The introduction of phones and other bright screens has further disrupted our sleep patterns and made it difficult for many of us to sleep when we feel we should.
Evidently sleeping in the biphasic pattern helps us process our dreams which are part of the problem solving mechanism of our brains. It is no wonder that many people find that their night time wakefulness often ignites creative juices and helps them solve life’s challenges. As I said, it can be a great time for me to write prayers. It also explains why the monastic rhythms began with prayer at 2 or 3 am. This was not some rigourous, aesthetic discipline but rather flowed out of the natural rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. And think about how often in the Bible God awakens prophets and leaders with visions and dreams.
I wonder however, what we miss out on because we try to control our sleep patterns. Taking pills may increase the length of time we sleep but not necessarily improve the quality of our sleep. trying to force ourselves to sleep just increases our frustration and anxiety and makes it even harder to relax and return to sleep.
So the next time you have a sleepless night don’t just lie there kicking and turning restlessly. Get up, walk around, maybe even write down those ideas or creative thoughts that are revolving in your mind. Give yourself permission to be creative, write poetry, do some artwork, pray. After an hour of this kind of activity it is often much easier to go back to sleep. And rethink your schedule. Maybe an earlier bedtime with allow for that needed awake time in your life.
What do you think?
Did you know that alongside Christine Sine’s book The Gift of Wonder, we have many resources available to you? The free downloadable bonus packet or beautiful prayer cards featuring prayers from the book, for example – something to hold and behold! Or perhaps you’d like to journey through the book alongside a retreat – we have that too! You can check it all out in our shop!
by Christine Sine
July 4th is one of the most hectic days in the summer for many Americans. BBQs, fireworks, travel all create stress and for some great anxiety. To be honest it does not need a celebration like Independence Day to create these emotions for many of us, no matter where in the world we are. I hope that wherever you are, today you will take a few minutes to breathe deeply, relax and allow the wonderful presence of God to fill you with peace, and love and joy.
by Christine Sine
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. Galatians 5:1, 13-15 The Message
The prayer above is one that I like to repost each year on American Independence Day, as I struggle with what it means to be free. The last few years have made us aware of the lack of freedom that so many in our society experience.
What Does It Mean to Be Free?
What does it mean to be free? Tomorrow is Independence Day in the U.S. when Americans celebrate their “freedom”. To be honest it is a celebration I struggle with because I don’t believe God calls us to be independent but rather interdependent. I also realize that our cultural perspectives shape our views of freedom but what I do believe is that Independence Day is a great time to reflect on our freedoms, what we appreciate and how we can extend those freedoms to others.
To Americans the concept of freedom focuses on the freedom of individual choice, which can be as trivial as the right to choose whether I want my eggs sunny side up or over easy, or as serious as the right to bear arms. What I struggle with is that there seems to be little recognition of the often dire consequences our individual choices can have for the society, the environment or for the global world in which we live.
To Australians freedom revolves more around the freedom of society and the recognition that our decisions all have consequences not just for us as individuals but for all of our society and our world. Consequently most Australians are willing to give up the right to bear arms for the good of a safe society in which we don’t have to worry about mass gun violence and killings. In the Australian political system voting is compulsory because of the belief that with the freedom of citizenship comes the responsibility of participation in the process that provides our freedom.
Unfortunately neither country does very well when it comes to granting freedom to all. We like to be exclusive – no freedom to illegal immigrants and refugees, to those of other genders or sexual orientation, those of other ethnicities or religions. Whether we think of freedom as individual or societal we all like to limit who we give freedom to.
All of this leads me to my most important question about freedom “What does freedom look like in the kingdom of God?” Obviously there is a element of individual freedom – all of us need to take on the individual responsibility to repent of our self centered ways and become followers of Jesus and the way of otherness.. However becoming followers of Jesus, and entering into the family of God faces us with serious consequences for how we act in society.
Our freedom as Christians means that we no longer focus on our own needs but rather “consider the needs of others as more important than our own” (Philippians 2) It means that we live by the law of love – what James calls “the royal law” (James 2:8). In the quote above, Paul sums this up very well “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbour as yourself.”
What is Your Response?
What comes to mind when you think about freedom? Take out your journal and piece of paper and divide it into 2 columns. On one side write the words that come to mind when you think of freedom. In the other column write down the negative consequences of your personal freedoms for others, for the earth and even for your life. Listen to the video below and reflect on the true meaning of freedom.
Sit quietly for a few minutes reflecting on your lists and the video you have listened to. Allow God to speak to you. Are there changes you need to make to your original lists based on your reflections? Are there places in which God calls you to repent of your “independence”? Are there ways in which God may ask you to give up your personal freedoms for the common good?
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