Routine

Besides the change in overnight temperatures, making sleeping a little more comfortable, one wonderful thing about September is that many folks resume some sort of routine. Although we all know the liberating feeling of leaving a schedule behind when summer approaches, we can probably also identify with the steadiness a regular routine can provide. Sometimes, fall feels like the start of a new year as folks assume regular exercise or planned opportunities to volunteer. Maybe this year, it feels more important than ever to return to a sort of routine. We have been spending a lot of time doing our own thing, lately.

I have a friend who was raised in a family without a lot of outside scheduling. The kids were home schooled, and the family were not a part of any organized religious community, so the routines many people his age were familiar with, just never applied to him. I remember him saying that one of the reasons he wanted his kids to go to church was because he found value in a day set apart from the rest. A day where the family intentionally slowed down, took time to appreciate life, to be together, and to be a part of a community larger than their own family. Its not a new idea. Sabbath is an ancient idea, after all. Designed not so much as a sacrifice, but as gift, a time for renewal, for fresh starts, for rest, and for worship.

I’m not one to whine and pine for the good ole days, but I do feel that taking time apart from routine, where gratitude and meaning are given space to flourish, is an important detail lost to many in this generation. On a larger scale, Christians have often shared conversation about what jubilee might look like- a time when debts are forgiven, and those left behind get a fresh start. It is not a very popular idea these days, but sabbath and jubilee were created for the vulnerable, the under employed, the working poor. The practice is not common, but the issues behind it certainly are.

Many congregations use September as an opportunity to invite folks back to church, even designating a day for such, complete with special celebrations; a reward, for returning. What would be wonderful is if folks could see the reward in returning, an opportunity to put the sabbath back in the rhythm of life. A chance to say, this fall, I want to try to add spiritual health and renewal to balance my whole life. My concern is that the ease of finding spiritual material and virtual community will take the place of in person, real time community.

I long for responsive congregations. Faces that reflect the mood of the message and worship experience, passing the peace and engaging with fellow travelers on the spiritual journey.  A faith for today, needs that perhaps more than ever as we navigate in a world where every day feels the same. Sabbath heals.

Rev. Donna Tourneur ministers among the folks of Trinity United Church in New Glasgow.