Sweet Sabbath

"Sabbath is an invitation to receptivity, an acknowledgement that what is needed is given and need not be seized." ~Walter Brueggman 

"Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to a Culture of Now"

Two times in less than one week, my favorite farmer has shared a big bag of blemished peppers. For free. She knows we don't mind a few spots here and there. And I know that these organic peppers will be chopped and frozen to nourish my family all winter long. The peppers are also helping us stretch our grocery budget, and I'm so grateful.

Brunch of berry blinztes on our back patio. 
One of my favorite ways to slow down!

Brueggman's book is challenging me and the pace I'm trying to keep. My anemia continues to slow me down, and I continue to chafe at my exhaustion. The study guide at the back of the book has some prompts that our family is going to use as a springboard for discussion:

"What are some ways you can keep the Sabbath so that Sabbath-keeping is less anxiety driven? Make a list of the activities in which you and your family normally engage on a Sunday. Include activities at your church...list other routine activities, such as grocery shopping, cleaning, yard work, ...athletic activities in which your children are involved, and list media activities such as viewing sports events or other programming, social media and internet surfing. Underline those activities that you can identify as characterized by Sabbath restfulness. Now circle those that you can identify as anxiety-inducing.... Commit to eliminate as many activities that do not provide Sabbath restfulness as possible, or at least to reduce the time you spend doing them."

I'm curious about the different activities we each will underline as providing rest and refreshing and which ones we will circle as anxiety-inducing. Another activity at the end of the book encourages the reader to consider the implications of our Sabbath activities on our neighbors. And the neighbors closest to me are my daughter and husband. With wildly varying personalities under one roof, how we choose to spend our Sabbath needs to be considerate and thoughtful.