Summer Rest, by Pastor Julie Wright

Summer Rest, by Pastor Julie Wright

by Pastor Julie Wright

Summer is the perfect time for rest — to kick off the flip-flops, take a rest in a hammock or a patch of grass and chill out.

My morning spiritual practice this summer has been what I call a Coffee Prayer & Meditation.  It’s pretty simple. With a cup of coffee in hand, I sit and gaze upon the pond, trees and critters in my back yard. I breathe. I sip the glorious coffee. Pray. Breathe. Sip. (Repeat)

There are birds that sing sweetly and persistently. Their song echoes and finds resonance in the breeze. Dragonflies dart across the pond, reflecting sunlight. There is a doe who makes her way into the tall, cool grasses surrounding the pond, where she takes her rest. If I am still, she doesn’t hear me sitting, sipping, praying, breathing. The doe stands and gazes at the world, takes in the sunlight, and she breathes. Just like me. Part of God’s creation.

This simple practice has revitalized my prayers. I use few words in these daily reflections. Gratitude has become my exhale. I inhale all the goodness that God has created and continues to create around me, within me. Goodness, gratitude, rest…shalom. God created Sabbath so that all of creation could rest. And so, with this in mind, I invite you to join me this summer in this holy rest.

May your breath be your prayer and silence become your song that brings you into the presence of God.

-Pastor Julie Wright

For more on Sabbath rest: https://www.reformedworship.org/blog/rest