Friday Five: Sabbath Rest

My Revgal colleague Pat has set up this Friday Five:

So, for those of us who are either pastors or beloveds of pastors or church folk of any serious commitment (and I can't believe you'd be hanging around RGBP unless one of those! But welcome if you are....), we have all just finished the liturgical equivalent of the Boston Marathon. 26 or so long miles of steady push, followed by a sprint here, a wall there. Only difference is, at a successful conclusion, everybody wins! Which, in my humble opinion, is one of the points of Easter.

But I digress. As I write this I am sitting in a cafe about 400 miles from my church sipping a most excellent latte, waiting to have breakfast with my daughter. This afternoon I fly to see family. After that, several days of study leave..... how about you?

This Friday Five is pretty simple:

1. What, if anything, are you doing to take your Easter season sabbath? Family? Vacation? Study Leave? Some combination of all three?

Now that I am retired, I don't get the week of Easter off.  I had a pretty easy Holy Week actually

and only preached once and lead services only once so I am back at it this week.  But I used to take most of the week off after Easter sometimes taking the week to visit with family.  Often there are good conferences the week after Easter to attend.  It really depended upon what I needed.

2. What is your favorite Easter season sabbath of all time?  

The most memorable was in 2009.  My brother called 30 minutes after my final service to tell me that my 97 year old mother was dying.  It was not relaxing or a sabbath but it was a time that I will never forget.  I was able to get home before she died. (I will be eternally grateful to American Airlines for finding me a ticket on the day after Easter) She had had a stroke that morning while having Easter breakfast. She waited until I could come and be with her the last few hours.  In many ways it was a sabbath because she was so incapacitated that it was a relief.  It was a good time with my family and was able to visit with cousins I hadn't seen in many years.   Rest takes on all kinds of meanings when you have illness in the family. 
3. If you're not taking an Easter season sabbath, what is drawing your attention as the Revised Common Lectionary bids us bide awhile with Thomas and gang? Is there a Holy Hilarity service in your future?

I am preaching again on Good Shepherd Sunday (Easter IV).  I really dislike the Good Shepherd image of Christ.  After all, I AM a Texan who heard all those stories that sheep ate the grass too low that it ruined the pastures for cattle when I was growing up.  To be a sheep herder in TX when I was growing up was fightin' words.  Besides it is the infantalizing image of God that I find so objectionable.  But I also have difficulty with Father as an image of God too--but hey, I can chalk that up to being a feminist.  I have already preached my funny sermon on sheep and shepherds to this congregation so I can pull out an old one.  HELP!

4. What would be your ideal Easter season sabbath? If you could go anywhere, do anything, with anybody?  

Not having to preach Good Shepherd Sunday!!!  After the past few days, I would like to find somewhere with a hot tub, wonderful meals and good books.


5. Tell the truth now: Any Easter candy left?

Actually we have not even opened the Peeps!  They are better when they are a bit stale anyway.  I even have some jelly beans left.  I only really like the black ones.  Too bad I have to eat the rest of the bag to get to the black ones.



This is being automatically posted from far, far away, as I will be in the Grand Tetons (where my dad and brother and family actually live!) without wireless access, and with a family computer in heavy use by high schoolers.... So have fun without me!

Atta girl, Pat.  A week without a computer is a sabbath indeed!