It seems the world is spinning faster these days. The news is relentless. Our calendars are full. The needs are urgent—from the cries for justice in our communities to the relentless tasks in our own households. We feel the pressure to do more, give more, be more. And yet, amid this whirlwind, I want to remind you of something both simple and profound: Rest is not a luxury. It is a sacred act. In times of turmoil, rest becomes not only a gift to ourselves, but a form of resistance. It is how we remember that we are human beings, not machines. It is how we reconnect with our values, our breath, our bodies, and the earth. It is how we ensure we do not burn out or lose ourselves in the noise.
So I invite you to practice rest with intention. That might mean taking a real Sabbath, even just for an afternoon. It might mean turning off the news for a few hours to listen to birdsong or laughter instead. It might mean saying “no” to one more meeting so you can say “yes” to your own well-being. It might mean holding still long enough to remember that your worth does not depend on your productivity.
This summer, as we look to moving into our beautiful new sanctuary we’ve built together, let us also build inward sanctuaries of peace. Let us honor the holiness of rest—not to escape the world, but to return to it renewed, grounded, and whole.
Rev. Sian Wiltshire is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's minister. Please feel free to reach out and say hello! She can be reached by email, revsian@ocuuc.org, or by church phone at (714) 556-2882 (x302).