I didn't invent this concept. It's an intrinsic part of our Judeo-Christian history. It's called Sabbath.
But we humans can't seem to let anything just be fun. We have to organize it and quantify it until it, Sabbath, also becomes "work."
The Jews in the Old Testament did it. Protestants and Catholics did it later. Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't do anything fun on Sunday?
That's not what Sabbath is about. It's all about fun and rest and delight and joy and thankfulness.
Years ago I went to a five day retreat on Sabbath. One of the more interesting things I remember our leaders telling us was that the Sabbath was for making love. What?
My friend, Art, is currently leading a four week class on "Sabbath" using the book by Wayne Muller, who is a big time Sabbath fan. Here are a couple of his definitions of Sabbath.
Sabbath time can be a revolutionary challenge to the violence of overwork, mindless accumulation and the endless multiplication of desires, responsibilities, and accomplishments.Remembering the Sabbath means Remember to delight in your life, in the fruits of your labor. Remember to stop and offer thanks for the wonder of it.
Sabbath honors the necessary wisdom of dormancy.
(Sabbath is) the space and time created to say yes to sacred spirituality, sensuality, sexuality, prayer, rest, song, delight.
But, then, in our need to make everything about rules and regs - Muller says the Talmud tractate on marriage says that married couples should make love every Friday night - and it is traditional for some sects to make love four times during the Sabbath.
That sounds like work to me.
Remember the Sabbath!
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