In the Godly Play Creation story, the words go like this: “On the seventh day, God rested and gave us the gift of a day to rest – and to remember the great gifts of all the other days.” What practices restore you and help you to rest in God’s hands? What practices help you celebrate and enjoy the gifts of the other days of creation?
Pre-COVID, many were caught up in the “glorification of busy.” We seemed to feel better about ourselves and our place — our significance — in the world if we were constantly hopping from activity to activity if our schedules were full if we could point to a completed ‘to-do’ list or a successful accomplishment.
COVID forced many of us to slow down, often a great deal, and start experiencing life on different terms. Without the parties, soccer games, concerts, and conferences to fly off to, we found space in our lives. We rested. We remembered how to be still. We were reminded that the moment is now, and we relearned how to celebrate it.
Another common discovery: Play. Play — true play — is something that we can all do, regardless of our age. Think about activities you have in your life that really get pleasure out of. Activities that are voluntary and done for no other reason than to do them are not designed to meet a goal. Play absorbs you. People lose track of time because they lose themselves in the activity. Play is an important form of rest that rejuvenates, reinvigorates, and renews us in a way that nothing else can.
Discuss with those in your household or your circle of friends:
- Describe your ideal day of rest and refreshment.
- When was the last time you paused to rest? When was the last time you played?
- As a child, what was your favorite way to play? As an adult, what is your favorite way to play?
- What is one thing you could change in your life to allow yourself more time for rest?
The reflection above was based on The Way of Love: Receiving the gift of God’s grace, peace, and restoration. Offered in the June issue of the Everything Holy project, each month Kat expounds on an element of Presiding Bishop Curry’s effort to encourage us to make a personal commitment to a set of practices to follow Jesus: To turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest.