Quiet Dawn of a Working Sabbath Morning

Huh, as I write this I think, my friends celebrate the Sabbath from Friday night into Saturday. Technically, we celebrate from Saturday night into Sunday, although for each group if we grab a couple hours and put them aside we’re lucky.

But what if we thought of the weekends as holy? The whole thing. Treated them and ourselves with a bit of reverence? Offered ourselves a bit of respite, maybe even some learning. A bit of play? Some yard work… clean out a drawer… Something reflective…

Something as reflective as this river is reflective. Something as blue and gold and rose. Something as full of clarity as this fresh spring air.

Sabbath… For clergy it’s a working respite… which seems odd, but there you are nonetheless. I have to plan my morning carefully so that what i’m doing comes from a place of reflection.

Today, really is a working day for my community as we have our annual meeting and look at budgets and make plans for the year ahead of us.

Dawn’s gift is clarity and observation in some traditions… I’ll take that this morning, yes indeed I will… and hope for a day of sweet Peace… for us and for everyone. Love. Peace. Blessings.

Front Row Seats on Life and Peace

The show of Life changes. Every day. When I wrote this poem I didn’t expect the second picture. But Deb thought to go back and take it. So, first the surprise, then the musing.

Today’s my Sabbath, my sit back, review, and enjoy day. Today’s sky is bright and beautiful. I checked these forsythia yesterday afternoon as I was coming home, and the snow had melted and they were all perky again. Life has her own ways. We either get on board, or we miss the show.

Every day it’s a different Sunrise. Every day life is beautiful. Some days are black and white. Some days are filled with color. It’s on us to find the beauty in both. Pictures: worth a thousand words. So maybe i should stop and just say… Peace, my friends. Peace. Let’s make it. (Surprise!!!)

A Beautiful and Peaceful Beginning

Good Morning. Happy Easter!

Unlike today’s beautiful picture, Our day in the Valley is going to be one of mist and mystery. Which sort of suits this holiday of profound mystery and rampant —and I admit it fun — commercialism of talking bunnies bringing eggs and new clothes. (The new clothes imperative belongs to a Pagan holiday Beltane, when you throw off winter and burn your clothes. It makes more sense when Easter’s a month later. Did you get new clothes growing up? We often got Spring Clothes, but my mom was very clear we did not get a new outfit for Easter. She hated the connecting of the profound and the profane. I appreciate that understanding a lot better now! And in fact, practical child that I am, a pretty little spring dress when it’s very cold wasn’t really that much fun to a child who had no meat on her bones. The egg hiding was originally incentive to our bird friends to fruitful and multiply.)

However you celebrate today, I hope it’s in the presence of those you love.

And oh, Deb Slade, what a picture. Such Beauty. This branch of the Susquehanna is a slow moving one. So many days, and this picture represents this, it looks like a lake rather than a river.

Peace to you. Peace and Beauty, and Joy. The Peace and Beauty of rose-gold mornings and rivers. The Peace and Joy of Easter. The Peace and Beauty and Joy of another day to be a live and make a difference.

Sabbath Peace and Mischief

Angel dust. Seeds of Peace. Go right ahead and sprinkle the world liberally! It’s almost Spring and the soil is softening… They might just take root! And goodness knows we need sweet mischief; there’s plenty of the malicious kind going around.

You’ve seen this angel before in these pages. In every season, every background, she has a different look… Same angel… hmmm… maybe we’re seeing things differently!

But here we are, with this warmly out of season weather, nothing to do but get outside and get up to some Peace. Or avoid the rain that’s supposed to fall around, and stay inside and wonder what Peace you can get up to.

It’s so needed. There’s so much turmoil and discomfort. Let’s be the ones bringing Peace.

What if sprinkling Peace were a delightful and mischievous thing rather than a heavy obligation? What if we just went joyously into the world and made Peace.

A Slow, Peaceful Sabbath Morning

I love days that start slow. I love the ones that come into being without a lot of rushing around on my part. No fanfare, just small, sweet beauty.

Our lives are so fast, we often need the extraordinary to slow us down. And make no mistake an extraordinary sunrise is, well, extraordinary.

But the sun rises every day, bringing us twenty-four hours to explore, time to learn and accomplish, time to work and play and even just sit and contemplate. There’s a lot to be said for quiet Beauty.

There’s nothing like a quiet Sunday! I hope you make something wonderful of yours! May it be a day of Peace.

A Fiery Sabbath Day of Peace Preparation

And there’s a mouthful, eh?

The Moon wakes me early (but do i have the sense to go to bed early? No!)

Last night before I slept, I heard from Nanso, she of the Peace Mandalas, that she had an image for me for Leaping into Peace for tomorrow. Oh, Hurrah!

Today, my job is to allow myself to be suffused with the fire of Peace, which burns eternal — catches soul after soul on fire — and yet does not harm us.

It’s the Sabbath, breathe out. It’s the fire of Peace, breathe in. Again and again. Until we are both relaxed and ready. Because Peace will only come if we bring it home!

Thee and I know, the world needs it. Peace. Practice your jumping! Tomorrow we Leap.

Cold Sabbath Peace

When the World is this cold, there’s not much stirring outside.

We huddle in our barrows and long for spring.

When we do, we miss the beauty. Crystalline air. Ice sculptures made of the most mundane webs and branches. Rivers slowed by pieces of itself frozen fast to the shoreline.

However you participate, this day offers itself up for your enjoyment. It’s a day off for many of us. How will you fill this precious Sabbath?

Bundle up. Wear all the clothes you’re supposed to. And go out into the world — go out knowing that you can come back in.

And spare thoughts for those who have no place to go. Maybe spare some change.

Peace needs to be for all of us.

Here’s to a frozen Sabbath Peace. May you enjoy it.

When the Sabbath Peace Slowly Dawns

I love the notion that even the Sun doesn’t make a big to do every day. Some days sunrise is just a quiet “this is what we do” event.

For me Sundays are both days of work and days of wonder. Because somehow, I managed to build a life where my work is the seeking of wonder. Part of my weekly responsibility is remembering the Sabbath, calling attention to it, helping everyone remember that it matters.

I have to tell you, it’s pretty great.

I wish that for you. Wonder is a lovely companion.

This week I have the labyrinth and Dark Moon to look forward to as well. A day dedicated to Peace. A day of friends, shared meals and quiet conversation. A day of fun things to read. If I’m lucky, a little raucous laughter. And why not be lucky.

Days don’t have to start in a blaze of Glory to be filled with Peace. The Peace is there. We just have to meet it.

Puddles of Peace on a Sabbath Morning

I’ve always loved these cloud configurations. When I was a child, they tried to convince me (and by they, I don’t mean my parents!), that a stern God kept watch on me from glorious clouds. It was sort of frightening.

But give me a few years, working on Peace, and I’m now able to see the Peace and the Possibility being poured out.

Today, on the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., with our world in a shambles, it’s a good day to consider whether we really want things to be different.

What world do you want to have? On whose behalf will you work — even sacrifice?

It’s a thought to mull over on a Sabbath isn’t it? Peace? What’s it worth to us? and Justice… for all. Let us Peace.

Inviting Sabbath Peace

Some mornings dawn breaks gently. Other days it flashes into our lives. I love that this picture issues a quiet invitation. I love that dawn came softly today as well.

I was up late reading last night. Silly me. on the night before Sunday morning. Go to bed Ann… but the book was so good. And I’d been at a great party before and I needed to calm down… nothing like reading!

But I slept well and deeply and this morning i came slowly awake right before the alarm. ah…

And today is going to be a lovely day. I don’t preach; one of my young wildfire students does. And this afternoon, I have one email to answer and that’s about it for work! The house is clean, the laundry done, and I still have two books I’m poking around in: one mind stretching and one just for fun.

Gentle Sabbath Peace. I wish you the same. Everyday Peace. Every day, Peace.

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

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