Sabbath Practice

As you seek rhythms of sabbath this summer, I share with you this simple prayer practice as a way to slow down and meet with God in nature. It is adapted from Transformation Intensive, our nine-month course of spiritual formation modeled on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. It is written by Valerie McIntyre.

As I look back on the days when our children were young, I remember the collective sigh we all experienced as school finished and summer vacation started. The backpacks were emptied of the detritus of the school year - the papers, pencils, markers and the inevitable forgotten, semi-desiccated bits of food. Mornings became slower and more relaxed without the frenetic pressure to get out the door to the schoolbus. There was a sense of release, of slowness and delight that we all felt. A holy exhale. This is what Sabbath ‘tastes’ like. While there are many different ways to practice sabbath, these flavours of release, slowness and delight are constants.

As you seek rhythms of sabbath this summer, we offer this simple prayer practice as a way to slow down and meet with God in nature.*

To meditate on creation simply means to focus our awareness on the created world around us using our five senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. It is remarkably restful and restorative to forget our cares and concerns for a while and to enjoy the beauty of creation. The peace that God gives to us through nature is a gift that we desperately need in these days in which we live. Inner peace helps us open up and receive the love of God. 

Seek out a place in nature that feels set apart from the noise and bustle of daily life, a quiet spot in a park, backyard, or even the balcony of your apartment building. You’ll need 10-20 minutes.

• Find a comfortable position for your body. Begin with a few deep breaths to help you relax. Look around and become aware of your surroundings.
• With your eyes open or closed, begin by remembering that God is with you and you are in God’s presence. Offer up this time to God. 
• Now, with your eyes open, activate your five senses. Try it with this simple countdown: name five things you see with your eyes; name four things you can hear with your ears; name three things you can feel with your body; name two things you can smell with your nose; name one thing you can taste or remember tasting in the last twenty-four hours. 
• Then turn your focus and attention inward. How does your body feel? What are you thinking about? What emotions are you feeling right now? Just notice without trying to change anything.
• Open your eyes and refocus on your surroundings. (If you notice your mind wandering away from the present moment, gently bring it back to the experience of the sounds, sights, smells, and sensations around you.)
• Close your eyes again and recall from memory what you have just experienced. What one thing in particular stands out in your memory? Remain focused on that thing for as long as you wish. Savor it. Give thanks to God for it. You might choose to take a photo, make a sketch, or write about the experience in your prayer journal.
• Conclude this time with a simple gesture of reverence and thanksgiving toward God the Creator.