conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

sabbath: mindfulness and holiness

In every case, pain had been the price of admission into a new life. But this admission price had purchased more than we expected. It brought a measure of humility, which we soon discovered to be a healer of pain.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 75

And we're back! Megan and Cristopher and I were all out of town for bits...overlapping and the like. So, we took a break from our regular Sabbath posting. But I think we're able to continue for a while. I'll disappear at the end of this month, but I don't think it will put me too far off the rota.

Anyway, this is the beginning to a new section of Muller's book. The section is entitled Consecration. I am not quite sure what Wayne is after yet, but the first little chapter is about mindfulness and holiness. By this, I think Wayne means that Sabbath is...

...a sanctuary in time when we consecrate our loved ones, our yearnings for peace, our prayers for strength and well-being for our children. We consecrate them, we en-holy them, with our mindfulness, gratefulness and care...We are not blessed because we are wealthy; we are wealthy because we bless.

Throughout this little chapter, he speaks of time, the great American commodity. Taking time and making time to be grateful is key. We have to remember our loved one. We cannot assume them. We have to be mindful of one another. That they are with us is a gift, a great gift that needs our attention...our remembering.

So, what is his little exercise? Well, confession. Yep. He suggests that we find a way to go to confession. I'm very interested in Megan's take on this exercise. I think I get it. And that is why I included the quotation from AA this morning. Humility is part and parcel of mindfulness. Attentiveness is difficult to many because we ourselves often come to the fore, our own issues, pains, concerns, embarrassments. So we need to tell someone about them. Wayne uses this culturally laden word "confession" to say that we simply need to make a practice of telling people about our lives, our struggles. This, potentially, can teach us humility. And such humility can lead to "proper mindfulness" of others.

Well, that's the connection I am making.

Links to Megan's and Cristopher's posts

Posted by tripp at July 16, 2007 06:40 AM