Being Human
I had one of those weekends that comes along every so often by the grace of God, the ones that make you feel like you've actually had a weekend and that you might have regained a bit of ground in the neverending fight against fatigue. I could think of no better way to finish it than by dragging the laptop outside, lighting up my pipe, and making some space to breathe.
My parents came to visit for the weekend. We didn't really do anything special - we just had a nice time catching up and playing with the boys. Yesterday we went to the park and flew model rockets. I can't recommend model rocketry enough if you have boys in your home. It's really inexpensive to get into, and I have never met a boy who didn't absolutely go nuts the first time he saw a launch. I can't wait for the day my boys are old enough to start building their own. It's an absolutely fantastic father/son hobby, and because so few large retailers carry supplies, it's also often a great way to support local businesses, namely your local hobby shop. But I digress - I spent some wonderful time this weekend with some of the people in my life that mean the most to me, an opportunity that I unfortunately do not always take when it presents itself.
One of the reasons, I think, that Sabbath is such a subversive practice is that it puts limits on some voices in our lives that are often so loud. It says to our work, "This far and no farther!" It refuses to grant privilege to a culture that tries to reduce us to a unit of production and instead makes space where we can be human. It also refuses to be contained by our own rules and regulations that try to tame its subversive nature. Personally, I think that we would do well to begin to pay attention to how and when we rest, because it's in these spaces that we are often most alive.
My pipe is reaching its end, as is my evening. Blessings to you in the week ahead.
The Sabbath, subversive? Fascinating thoughts, Scott. Subversive to our own addictive natures. I've been thinking a lot about the disciplines lately and realized how many of them are Sabbaths from something, usually something good (Fasting, Solitude/Silence, Secrecy, etc.).
Glad you got some rest.
Posted by Scott L on June 1, 2005 02:08 PMyeah, well.. you and that pipe of yours and some post you wrote from God knows when in the summer of 2004 got me hooked on this whole blog o ma thing, so keep smokin' my friend.
glad to hear you got some peace and quiet and some good time with family.
peace.
Posted by so i go on June 1, 2005 02:19 PMI've been reading Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson. I was reading yesterday his thoughts on creation and, interestingly enough, he writes an incredible piece about Sabbath and a connecting piece about work. It's along the same vein about Sabbath as a subversive practice, although I don't think he uses the word per se. I'll try to post a few excerpts later tonight if I get the chance - it's well worth a read.
I also have a half-written piece about the spirituality of pipe smoking that I'm debating whether to finish and post ;).
Posted by ScottB on June 2, 2005 01:09 PMPipe-smoking, that's what made Lewis and Tolkien great, isn't it? Man, you bloggers and your cussing and smoking. I'm starting to like you all. : )
Posted by Scott L on June 2, 2005 03:50 PMAhh...your description almost makes me feel rested. Well done, friend. I read yesterday a bit in Peterson's Working The Angles...same thing, a heavy diatribe on Sabbath. Peace and more peace.
Posted by radioreb on June 2, 2005 09:28 PMScott - now that you mentioned The Masters, I think I have to finish the post. ;)
Chris - he's got a way with words and ideas, doesn't he? One of the most underappreciated thinkers of our time, too, I think - at least in the circles I've travelled in.
Posted by ScottB on June 3, 2005 11:17 AMHaving read this over several times, I think about serendipity this morning. Serendipity of the Spirit and that which reveals, not illussion, not disillussion, but reality bathed in shalom.
Thank you for this moment of wonder that was feet on the ground reality, in touch with the Divine.
"Reality bathed in shalom" - now that's something I can hope for!
Posted by ScottB on June 6, 2005 01:03 AM