Creative ways for the whole family to observe Sabbath can be hard to come by. A big thanks to the mama for the now famous dinner picnic. Morgan couldn't have been any happier - she got to watch Peter Pan while eating a sandwich and a plum! It was fun to watch her...she knew this was a special treat. Athan was also OK with it, for the whole event produced just the right amount of white noise for his post-meal nap. These days, Sabbath days, are the days we need to remind us what it means to live; to "walk before the Lord in the land of the living." The work week derives its meaning from this set apart rest where we remember that we are children who belong, not gods who 'make things happen.' Of course Sabbath isn't confined to one day (certainly not Sunday for those with pastoral responsibilities!), but it is nice when a day can be set apart.
It's the little things really: hearing others drown out your own voice with songs proclaiming the mystery of the faith, don't-hold-back feasts shared with friends, any amount of activity or silence with children - things that help us slow down and catch glimpses of reality. When I run out of rope as Athan's dad, it is these days that remind me why I hold him and hope rather than look at him and despair.
