SETTING RHYTHM

…written by Chamie

Some rhythms seem effortless to get into… like drinking a glass of red wine each night on the balcony while gazing at the sparkling blue ocean and saying farewell to the sun as it dips behind the rolling hill. I’ve found this a really easy rhythm to adopt here at Avila Beach.

Other rhythms are a little more challenging. But we hear the invitation of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew to try a new dance:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly."

“The unforced rhythms of grace.” That is a phrase that has beckoned Tim and me for quite some time now. It is what called us to make this first part of sabbatical about “setting rhythm,” about creating a “rule of life” so we can live in such grace. St. Benedict, many centuries ago, developed a “rule” for those who lived in monastic community together. “Rule” can often be seen as a heavy or negative word for people. But in the spiritual life, Adelle Calhoun says that rules “aren’t a burdensome list of do’s and don’ts, enumerating everything you might do in a day. Life-giving rules are a brief and realistic scaffold of disciplines that support your heart’s desire to grow in loving God and loving others.” Tim and I call this “rhythms of grace.”

There are five rhythms we are fleshing out here, five rhythms we hope to take with us on this entire sabbatical journey. They are central to the life of the Benedictines. During the next couple of weeks, we will take each one of those rhythms and share our thoughts with you… get ready to…

pray,
study,
work,
play,
and rest.


___________________________________________


Note… we will be leading a Family Retreat at El Camino Pines Bible Camp in Frazier Park, CA the weekend of November 13-15 based off the sabbatical experience. You can find more information at www.raisingmicah.org under “Events & Faith Communities.” Registration forms are also available at Ascension Lutheran Church & School and Lifesong Christian Communities. You may sign up at anytime, but a discounted rate is in effect through May 17, 2009.

Beginnings

We hit the road Tuesday morning for Avila Beach, CA, where we will spend the next three weeks (phase one of sabbatical). We are staying in a home graciously donated by members of Ascension Lutheran Church. They told us they believe in sabbatical because of what it can do not only for the pastor/family involved, but for the local church, and beyond that, the larger church… a place called the kingdom of God.

We had barely been on the road five minutes when song broke out in the car. We are not sure which child started it, but to the tune of “A-Hunting We Will Go,” they all began singing, “Sabbatical we will go, sabbatical we will go…” They clapped. They cheered. They laughed. They were obviously very excited.

Their energy did not cease when we arrived at the beach house where they explored their room, picked out their bed, and set up camp. Unlike their parents, they hadn’t spent the last days packing and preparing and staying up into the wee hours; they had simply been anticipating. We, though, were exhausted!

Even though we had sleepy eyes, we were glad to gather around our “altar” for evening prayer. An altar is a place that marks the presence of God. The standing wood cross given to Chamie by her friend Carolyn sits on our altar. So does the “travel” Bible given to Aidan by Ms. Hoskinson (from the preschool). And then there is Hannah’s prayer book from Lutheran Pastor Steve (a designation in our home because of mommy’s colleague Methodist Pastor Steve), as well as Jude’s triangle to ring us into prayer. At the very center, is the candle.

At the send-off dinner at Ascension on Sunday night, we were presented with a large pillar candle. The idea is that we will light it when we pray. Another identical pillar candle will travel through families at Ascension Church & School as they pray and write in the journal that goes with the candle. It is based off the experience of theologian Henri Nouwen who took a sabbatical nearly nearly fifteen years ago and wrote this:

"During my farewell celebration… two large blue candles were presented to me, one for me to take on my journey, and one to go from house to house in the community. They are prayer candles and are meant to remind me and those who sent me of our commitment to each other… Community is so much more than living and working together. It is a bond of the heart that has no physical limitations. Indeed it is candles burning in different places of the world, all praying the same silent prayer of friendship and love."

We are thankful for the candle, for just lighting it is a form of prayer, and we remember the community that sent us. We are also aware of other communities and people that travel with us… friends and family… Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Other… people we will meet on the way. Throughout the next three months, our candles will shrink, but our prayers and altars will grow. Our plan is to find something to add to our altar at every stop we make… Avila Beach… London and Cambridge and Coventry… cathedrals like St. Paul’s and Salisbury… the Holy Island of Lindisfarne… Notre Dame… the monastic community of Taize… the Redwood Forests… … the Oregon coast… Seattle… Bonner’s Ferry, ID… Columbus, MT… the Black Hills… Huron, SD… Luther Seminary… Lake Wapogasset Bible Camp… Fort Collins, CO… Garden of the Gods… Glenwood Springs… Mammoth Lakes…

Thank you for journeying with us. We pray that we will all grow in our knowledge and experience of the kingdom of God and that we may bear witness to that light! Amen, Amen!

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I really, really, really love spending time with my family.”
- said out of the blue by Jude Delkeskamp while driving in the van


Note… we will be leading a Family Retreat at El Camino Pines Bible Camp in Frazier Park, CA the weekend of November 13-15 based off the sabbatical experience. You can find more information at www.raisingmicah.org under “Events & Faith Communities.” Registration forms are also available at Ascension Lutheran Church & School and Lifesong Christian Communities. You may sign up at anytime, but a discounted rate is in effect through May 17, 2009.

Epilogue- April 14th

Dear Friends,

Thank you! I really appreciated the journey that we took together in these past 40 days of Lent. Your willingness to read my reflections, your encouraging comments and just the very idea of studying the Lord’s Prayer together as a community helped me to understand the Lord’s Prayer in a deeper way than ever before.

As a pastor, my next step is to go with my family on a Sabbatical for 3 months. After 2 years of planning, applying for grants, educating and gathering support from the congregation, I really can’t believe it is almost here.

I am so deeply grateful to my congregation and the many individuals within it who have gone out of their way to provide me with the support I have needed to make it happen!
In short, the topic of my sabbatical is “Family Spirituality.” We will go to many great places and spend time in the Benedictine rhythm of studying, working, resting, playing and praying together. We will also be posting updates right here on my blog. It won’t be daily- more like weekly. And the blogs will come from me, my wife and perhaps my children. So if you would like to continue to be a part of my blog- you will receive these updates. If you would like to discontinue the emails you can simply click the “unsubscribe” feature that comes with this email.
Have a wonderful Easter season. God’s abundant blessings to you!
Pastor Tim