Holy Leisure

I finally cracked open Celebration of Discipline.  This will be my second time through this book, the first time being pre-children seminary days.  Let me tell you the difference between pre-children seminary days and the present in Amy's life - my thoughts actually stayed in my brain.  I did not lose them 3.23 minutes later.  At that time I read this book slowly, soaking in every word and then discussed it with other people digging through the same gold mine I was.  It was beautiful, time-consuming, and hard.  It did so much for my walk with the Lord that I knew it was a book that would be on my shelf forever.  I've been wanting to re-read it ever since.

Any guesses why I haven't?

This book requires time, and actual thought.  This is not a light read that you can zoom through in two days and smile and sigh at the end and go about your business.  This is a slow, make-sure-you've-got-your-brain-turned-on kinda book.  But guys and gals - it's worth it.

So, I dig in.  The first discipline he discusses in the book is Christian meditation, something I have never (even pre-children seminary days) been able to do very well.  I am the classic "sit down to read and pray and my mind starts to plan meals or watch squirrels play".  I have the hardest time focusing my thoughts.  So, I'm excited to learn about meditation and start practicing.

Here's a little gem I stumbled on and my heart reached out and grabbed:

" We must come to see, therefore, how central our whole day is in preparing us for specific times of meditation.  If we are constantly being swept off our feet with frantic activity, we will be unable to be attentive at the moment of inward silence.  A mind that is harassed and fragmented by external affairs is hardly prepared for meditation.

The church Fathers often spoke of 'Otium Sanctum', "holy leisure".  It refers to a sense of balance in the life, an ability to be at peace through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace ourselves.  With our tendency to define people in terms of what they produce, we would do well to cultivate "holy leisure""

WOW.  Make me think of the old Calgon commercials "Otium Sanctum!  Take me away!"  Oh to live like this! 

Funny story: He gives an example of beginning to practice meditation by meditating on the amazing scripture "My peace I give to you"  John 14:27.  It's 11:00 PM, I'm lying in bed about to drift off to sleep, family sleeping - all is peaceful.  Wow, seems like a good time to meditate on His peace (not really, since I will most likely fall asleep) - so I wade in.  I am instantly realizing how my life would be different if the truth of HIS PEACE in ME really would sink in - and then..... my son wakes up with diarrhea and my daughter wakes up screaming to tattle that he's out of his bed.  Total silence to complete chaos in mere seconds.  So peaceful.

When all of it was over I had to just lay back down and laugh.

But that was just practice number one, determination will keep me going.  I'll let you know how it goes.

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Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling