We have hosted a few more visitors lately. Eric and Carmen Kluth from Cleveland (pictured), Rachel, Andy and Hannah Devorak from Jacksonville, and Laura Edwards from Albuquerque. The last few weeks have had a pretty normal routine, aside from the visitors. We have our Saturday morning oatmeal group that has sort of taken roots and runs pretty well without a lot of organizing. This weekend we had 21 people in our living room. It was over-full.
Our life in community has been very busy, often hurried, and we have given in to worry a time or two. As I think about the past year there are just a couple themes that I have been particularly interested in as I study, think, and dream. One is Sabbath. Our oatmeal group started talking more about practicing the discipline of Sabbath this week, and it seems like something that many of us in families see as a form of worship and devotion that is radical and meant for the whole family. Reba Place used to have a pretty well established celebration around Sabbath, but nobody remembers a regular thing in the past four or five years, so we have some investigating to do to uncover the local traditions.
Some helpful guidelines as we plan on a Saturday night through Sunday Sabbath celebration: We will rest, worship, and delight in good things. We will not work, participate in commerce, or worry. See how radical that is! It will take us a long time to get it rolling, but we have already started. Shabbat Shalom! Josh
