All Our “Sabbaths”
Daily Dose of Emily D
“Just Once! Oh least Request!
Could Adamant refuse
So small a Grace
So scanty put,
Such agonizing terms?
Would not a God of Flint
Be conscious of a sigh
As down His Heaven dropt remote
‘Just Once’ Sweet Deity? ”
Daily Scripture Reading
Anchor Verse
“‘There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’—you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no yes-man to the Sabbath; he’s in charge’”
Reflection
The sabbath is considered by some to be a holy day, set apart for rest. It harkens back to the seventh day of creation when God rested and is listed as one of the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
In our scripture today, Jesus is criticized for his activities of gathering food and curing a man on the sabbath. He asks those who scorn him for his actions to reconsider their teachings and in fact their perception of God and the will of God. He says,”But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (7, NRSV). Later on He also retorts, “it is lawful to do good on the sabbath” (12b, NRSV).
The speaker in our poem of today is praying. With her use of “adamant” and “flint,” we at once get a idea of her perspective on God at the moment of the prayer. This God is of stone, unbending, and unmoved by her plea. In other poems, we get differing views, but in this prayer, at this moment, the speaker’s God is a god of stone.
How often do we stonify our sacred? Whether it be ideas that have been taught to us or our view of our God? While I love rituals and thrive when incorporating rituals into my life— as well as clear and guarded boundaries, we need to be aware of the possibility of being too rigid in belief—too adamant in practice. Going through the routines at times does produce a callousness that may defeat the whole purpose of the ritual in the first place.
Even in our most sacred of beliefs and daily rituals that are there for a very good reason and should be guarded, we do still need to keep an open heart and mind and a freshness. We need to remember that the rituals are to serve our highest good — getting us to the next best version of ourself, not the other way around. That is - just as Jesus said, “the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” So too — we. We are sovereign in our life and life and death hang on each decision we make. Our decisions are that important. When we are making any decision or judgment, even if it involves guarding our most sacred of sacred activities, we need to question: are we making this judgement based on love or out of fear? We need to always go back to the center - why do we practice?
Transcript
With the intention of open-midness, let’s move into our meditation.
Let’s begin.
Come to a comfortable seated position, crossing your feet in front of you and resting your hands on your knees. Your back and neck should be straight. Close your eyes. Allow for your breath to slow down. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Inhale. Exhale. Become aware of any tension or pain that you maybe holding onto within your body. Breathe into those areas, and with each exhale, release the tension or pain. Inhale and exhale. Let it go. Release any thoughts or ideas about your day. With each exhale, let them go. You are relaxed. Inhale and exhale. Your mind is quiet. Enjoy the quiet.
Now Welcome this centering thought for today. It is yours to repeat throughout the meditation, or to come back to if your mind begins to drift away from this present moment.
I am sovereign over all my sabbaths, they serve me well, and I am thankful.
I am sovereign over all my sabbaths, they serve me well, and I am thankful.
I am sovereign over all my sabbaths, they serve me well, and I am thankful.
And now silently in your mind,
Begin to come back to your breath. Gently move your body and when you are ready, open your eyes. Notice how you feel.
As you flow through your rituals of your day, keep an open mind. May all of your actions and reactions be kind, and considerate and grounded in love.
Live a CHARMED Life.
CHARMED
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Word of Intention
flexible
Eight Affirmations of Gratitude
I am grateful for mercy.
I am thankful for flexibility.
I give thanks for scope of understanding.
I am thankful for compassion.
I am thankful wisdom.
I am so very thankful for unconditional love.
I give thanks for those who do good.
I am grateful that every day is a new day.
Questions to Consider
Am I always nitpicking others?
Are there beliefs that I hold too rigidly?
Where in my life can I be more merciful, more compassionate, more flexible?
Blessings
Thank you for joining me. Love and light to you my friend. Namaste.