Rhythms of Rest: Making Sabbath Your Own
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
It has been a little while since my last update this summer, and I am so glad to be back in your inbox. As the seasons shift and we settle into the deeper, slower rhythms of autumn, I’ve been reflecting on how my family has embraced a weekly Sabbath rest, finding deep wells of refreshment and connection.
The beauty of this practice is its unique adaptability. There's no single "right" way to observe Sabbath. It's an invitation to discern how this rhythm of rest might look in the particular landscape of your life. Are there quiet stirrings within you, a longing for something more grounding, more restorative, more clarifying?
Consider what choosing rest over rush, presence over performance truly means for you. It might be a slow walk at sunset, not to get your steps in, but to remember how to breathe. Perhaps it is a quiet morning with coffee, where no one needs anything from you yet. Ultimately, it is simply letting yourself be: free from the pressure to do more or be better, and resting in just being you.
Wendell Berry’s poem The Peace of Wild Things captures this beautifully. Its focus on resting in the grace of the natural world aligns with Jesus's invitation to step away to a quiet place.
This is a journey of turning away from the noise to meet with God, listening for what your soul needs, and welcoming those quiet, unassuming moments of communion.Maybe this is the Sabbath where you stop trying to recreate someone else’s experience, and begin to notice your own unique rhythm. What if it’s okay for it to be quiet, soft, even a little bit boring?
As you reflect on these ideas, what personal golden moments of rest are you longing for? What small, intentional steps could you take to begin making Sabbath truly your own, even if it feels quiet, soft, or uneventful?
Upcoming Events
A Quick Note on Direction Sessions
If you've been desiring to carve out space for individual spiritual direction, I have a limited number of open hours available in November. If you're thinking about scheduling a session, feel free to visit my website (and click the Schedule a Session button) to reserve your time. If you don’t see a time that works for you there, please send me an email and we can work together to find a time that works for both of us.
Silent Retreats
If you are longing for a more extended time of quiet and presence, I will be directing upcoming silent retreats on December 10–13, 2026 and January 21–24, 2027. Details and registration information can also be found on my Silent Retreats page.
Quotes to Ponder
As you make Sabbath your own this month, I leave you with this poem for your personal reflection: The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry.
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
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