Genesis 2:
“1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
The people were instructed to remember the sabbath and keep it holy. It was to be a day of delight and thanksgiving. So just as joy is more than the absence of sorrow, keeping the sabbath is more than the cessation of work. It is a time to develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. It is a time to fully appreciate the blessings that surround and indwell us all.
Ministers, teachers and other professional people are encouraged to take sabbaticals periodically to rest and renew.
What better use of a minister’s time and energy than to rest from the daily activities and to renew her connection with Source.
I am very grateful to be given a three month sabbatical beginning September 1, 2017.
Please know that I love my work and feel blessed everyday to be doing the work I am doing. I am blessed by the entire community — the people who attend services here regularly, the ones who have been part of our community in service, the hundreds of students who have studied with me. I am grateful to be part of a Center that values my contributions and service.
When I speak on a Sunday, I want to speak about the experience of Transcendence from a felt sense. I want to inspire other seekers. When I truly experience the divine within nature and within myself, I experience transcendence. That is my hope for my sabbatical. I will be a better minister for unplugging and turning to the Source within.
Jason Silva spoke about the mystical experience recently. He inspires me.