Read and Learn: On Reading and Learning

Being that I am in seminary right now I have been thinking a lot about reading and learning. Our brains are amazing things. How do we retain information? How do we connect ideas? Though there are scientific answers for these questions, there is one aspect of reading and learning that is directly related to the world of faith: Sabbath. I use this term in a general way not in the "going to church on Sunday" kind of way that is transferred over from the Hebrew Scriptures. I use the term to mean a time for rest and even enjoyment.

To put it succinctly, Sabbath is good for the brain. There have been many times of late that I have forced myself to stay at the task of school work even though I am quite tired. And I must admit, sometimes that is necessary. But I have been pleasantly surprised what happens when I choose to give my brain a break. Translation exercises that I labored through one night were somehow easier after I allowed my brain to rest and do something I enjoyed followed by a good nights sleep. I have often joked that I think taking naps is my favorite spiritual discipline. While there is a sense in which this is a joke, I actually think it's quite true.

I admit some may find this post quite ridiculous, but it seems to me that our bodies, our brains, need Sabbath time. So whether it's a good nap, a nice walk, or a glass of wine by the fireplace or veranda, I hope you find some time to rest your mind today. Leave a comment if you do. Maybe others might like your ideas.

Seminary Reflections

As the semester draws to a close, final exams are written, and papers turned-in (or clicked-in, as is the case when one submits a paper online), I’m aware of the inherent beauty of the academic calendar.

Work twelve weeks, HARD. Big push at the end for finals. Then, rest. Sabbath. It’s almost Biblical, even, since from time to time we all need take a break to reconnect with God, with others, with ourselves, (and yes, with those non-academic to-do lists).

One of the differences between my full-time church internship last year, and my full-time student life at seminary this year, is that last year I actually had time to read for fun, to come home from a day at work and not have to worry about homework or studying. I enjoyed an almost nightly sabbath from work, a feeling very difficult to achieve during the school year. It helped me break and connect with Megan, with friends online, with God.

Advent, to some extent at least, is about sabbath, a sabbath from our normal secular-driven holiday thoughts to another a focus on something else entirely. A sabbath to ponder Christ having come, a sabbath to hope for Christ’s coming again. A time to wait, to be allowed to rest, to reconnect with God, with others, with ourselves.

Maybe these feelings are more intense for one who has just finished a semester’s work, but I hope that we all might use our sabbath time whenever it’s each night after work, or a Sunday afternoon, or early in the morning to rest, to wait with God, to hope for the time when all will be well, for Christ is surely coming.

image by yunior