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Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote that “Sabbath is a palace in time with a kingdom for all.”
For me, the practice of Sabbath is one of intentional resistance, something another theologian, Walter Brueggemann talked about in his book Sabbath As Resistance. Sabbath is accepting the gift of Now, of Reality, of all of Creation, of recognizing, honoring, basking in, and enjoying the Presence of God that is always around us, in us, and with us.
This habit of stopping doesn’t have to be limited to a single day each week or a period of time during the year. Sabbath is a posture we can take any moment of the day. When I stop whatever it is that’s keeping my heart and my head busy and pause to breathe, listen, and be present to the moment at hand throughout the day, I am able to see the sacredness of what seemed ordinary and mundane before, right here, in the fullness of time. Sometimes I have to look for it, and other times it jumps out, sparking and glowing, impossible for me to ever miss again in this palace of time with a kingdom for all.
My hope is that you might find some light in these little joys to grace you as you go about your day.
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About Sarah M. Wells
Sarah M. Wells is the award-winning author of six books, most recently Ordinary Time: Meditations from the In-Between (essays). She is also the author of American Honey: Field Guide to Resisting Temptation (memoir), Volumes 1 and 2 of The Family Bible Devotional, two collections of poems, Between the Heron and the Moss and Pruning Burning Bushes; a chapbook of poems, Acquiesce, winner of the 2008 Starting Gate Award; and a novella-length essay, The Valley of Achor, available on Kindle.
Sarah’s work has been honored with four Pushcart Prize nominations, and six of her essays have been listed as Notable Essays in The Best American Essays. She is a 2018 recipient of an Ohio Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. Sarah earned her BA in Creative Writing and MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Ashland University. She is a full-time freelance writer, editor, and regular contributor to Root & Vine and God Hears Her, a blog for women, from Our Daily Bread. Sarah also serves as the poetry editor for Relief: A Journal of Art and Faith. She resides in Ashland, Ohio, with her husband, Brandon, and their three children, Lydia, Elvis, and Henry.
Learn more at sarahmariewells.com.
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