How radical!
The Rule of the Lindisfarne Community adds"rest" to the practices of a balanced life. The others are prayer, study, and service, practices that are often part and parcel of a dedicated religious life. But "rest," oh, that can be a hard one!
And yet, how necessary for the mind and heart and soul to recoup and regenerate! Sleep studies abound, demonstrating the myriad benefits of regular, good quality rest. But I suspect there's more involved than just the neurology of sleep.
Rest is when and how we develop trust, very specifically trust in God. The busier I am (and I've been way too busy lately) the less I find I can trust God to carry me to my (or God's) destination. Stopping to rest, to relax my anxious habits and let the universe be is a vital spiritual practice. Without it, my relationship with God becomes based on earning favor by doing more and more instead of accepting what already is.
To that end, I am taking another look at my crowded schedule between now and early December. Once this semester of teaching is over, I'm fairly certain things will re-adjust themselves. But I need more rest between now and then to be in good, or at least a little better, balance.
In that spirit, I will keep this post short, and welcome your thoughts on the spiritual practice of rest.
Yes rest. Rest with the head on the pillow is essential. But so is rest with the butt on the pillow. Rest in REM and deep sleep are essential. But rest in God is where true rest and true regeneration begins and ends.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Meditation and mindfulness are taken up elsewhere in the Rule, and in other blog posts. My concern this time was with my deep weariness at the moment, and the need to balance rest with prayer, study, and service, as the Rule indicates. Both are, of course, deeply needed!
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