"You were not just born to center your entire existence on work and labor. You were born to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect." Tricia Hersey, Rest is Resistance.
This summer, from June through August, I'll be on a short sabbatical. A sabbatical is a type of rest. As Hersey says it's a way "to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect." I like to think of it as a time to reground myself and refocus on what is important. We all can get caught up on the day-to-day and lose the bigger picture. The word "sabbatical" shares a root with "Sabbath," the weekly Jewish holy day. Even the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, stopped, looked around, called it good, and then took a nap. Why not us too?
In a world that wants to extract every ounce of productivity from us, choosing to rest is a radical act of love, for yourself and for the people who need you whole. And we need each other whole these days! While I'm away, OCUUC will be in wonderful hands, with a great lineup of thought-provoking guest preachers, a steady staff, and lay leaders who are some of the most capable people I know.
So, here's my invitation, because a sabbatical shouldn't be only for ministers. What would it look like for you to practice a little Sabbath this summer? Maybe not three months, but what about three days? Or even 3 hours? Or maybe just one slow morning where you sit with a cup of coffee and let the light come in the window, remembering that you are already enough. The world will tell you that you cannot afford to stop, but the world is wrong. May we trust that the universe can keep spinning without our constant attention and may we come back to one another in September a little wiser and a little more grounded.
With love and a nap,
Rev. Sian
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).