During the season of Lent we often speak of being on a journey of faith. As Christians we accompany Jesus through the stories we read and hear in the scripture passages we share during Lent and in the stories of our lives and our experiences of faith in Christian community.
In Lent, we are encouraged to be intentionally reflective and be more aware of God's presence and guidance in our daily lives. We strive to discern what God is calling us to be and do as individuals and as a community of faith. It is a time to think seriously about what it means to be people of the Way; people of faith who gather together and are inspired by, and seek to exemplify, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is a time to ask ourselves what it means for us to follow Jesus' footsteps in the joys and sorrows of his journey to Jerusalem, to the cross, and to a new and transformed life.
Author and wise woman, Christina Baldwin, calls this awareness of God's presence and intentional discernment, "moving at the pace of guidance". Her simple and yet profound book, The Seven Whispers: A Spiritual Practice for Times Like These, has become a new and beloved companion to me in this reflective season of the church year. Christina explains "moving at the pace of guidance" by saying:
"In a world of speed and distraction, pace of guidance invites us to combine the practices of measured movement and listening. Speed is some guy running through the airport shouting into a cell phone. Pace is going around the block with a three-year-old and noticing everything the child is noticing. When we move at pace, we have time to question and time to listen for answers before moving on. When we move at the pace of guidance, it occurs to us to wonder what plans the Divine might have for us, in the midst of the plans we have for ourselves." (Pages 23-24, New World Library, 2002)
Christina Baldwin's description of moving at the pace of guidance describes very well my sabbatical experience which began at the beginning of Lent a year ago. To move from a very busy work schedule into an intentional and sustained time of spiritual practice, study and exploration of faith was a shift that required a break from the old routine to cultivate an openness to spirit and create a change of pace.
The first week of my sabbatical I stayed in San Francisco. I spent time walking around the Mission District, was inspired by the beauty and boldness of the murals on the walls of the Women's Centre; sat in quiet meditation in many churches (mostly Roman Catholic); walked the labyrinth at Grace Episcopal Cathedral; and worshipped with United Methodist and Anglican congregations.
This time is not comparable to Jesus' experience in the wilderness before his public ministry but it was a time that enabled me to break the habits of routine and open myself up to the spontaneity of listening to God's voice within me and responding "as the Spirit moved". It was a liberating experience and helped set the tone for the rest of my sabbatical. It enabled me to listen to the voice deep within me that was guiding me in a different direction than I'd thought I'd go in my sabbatical learning.
During my sabbatical I immersed myself in reading about Celtic Christianity in preparation for visits to religious sites in Ireland and time spent with both the Northumbria Community, in North-Eastern England, and the Iona Community in Scotland. I nurtured myself spiritually with time spent in silent retreat and intentional spiritual practices, time with Spiritual Directors, and time immersed in the beauty and wonder of Creation and in the beauty and wonder of a variety of humanly created religious artistic expressions.
One of the ways that I was intentional during that time was to look carefully at what was around me, recognize God's presence and give thanks. I had a very small digital camera that fit easily in my pocket and I carried it with me wherever I went. Sometimes there were awe-filled moments which needed to be experienced and not seen through the lens of a camera and I carry those profound experiences in my heart and in my memories. But I did take hundreds of pictures and learned how to catalogue them on the computer and put them into a slideshow format.
Last July I shared some of my pictures during Storytime. In August I was asked to give a brief sabbatical report to our Church Council. It seemed a daunting task to be concise in giving an account of a four month experience which was, and continues to be, a transformative time in my life. I chose to prepare a five minute slideshow accompanied by a piece of music which had played an important role in my sabbatical experience.
As we begin this season of Lent many of these experiences are close to the surface of my memory as I continue to learn and grow as a person of faith. I continue to learn from the wisdom of our faith tradition; from current writers and those who lived long ago. And, I continue to explore and integrate the experiences and the learnings that were fostered in that blessed time of sabbath recreation.
For the remainder of this reflection I'm going to share with you the slideshow that I presented to our Council. I offer it with thanksgiving for the precious gift of time and for your blessing while I was away on Sabbatical and your welcome when I returned.
Slideshow accompanied by music:
Ubi Caritas, arranged and sung by Connie Dover, Celtic Spirit CD
Very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to share your view with us. uv detector
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