This past Sunday, we returned to our regular Sunday time and place after spending the previous weekend at Keswick Retreat Center for a quiet, slow-paced retreat that focused on God’s command to take a Sabbath rest. When we take a day – or even a few hours off – we are demonstrating our trust in God’s provision, relinquishing control, and resisting our culture’s message that when you are busier, you are better and more important. As our retreat leader Bill Elander pointed out, “It is always God’s will to take a nap.” In addition to honoring God with our snoozing, we spent a lot of time together in contemplative prayer: Lectio Divina, imaginative prayer, and other forms of guided prayer.

In the spirit of our retreat, here’s a link to a guided contemplative prayer I worked on with Janine Rohrer and David Buchs from our fellow NYC Vineyard, The 166. You’ll need just over 15 minutes of quiet to listen to this prayer and reflect, with Jesus, on what it means to be rooted and growing in God’s love.

www.sleepwithmusic.com/contemplativeprayer

I hope you find some time this week for resting in God! And we look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we explore the books of Daniel, Esther, and Jeremiah, and ask what it means to be faithful while living in exile.

Carrie Myers

Spiritual Director, Vineyard One NYC