"The Judeo-Christian tradition gives us the Sabbath, a sense of sacred time in which to be, to listen, to be personal and not to "work at it." The Sabbath idea is that at least one-seventh of your life needs to be fallow, useless, empty and expectant..." --Richard Rohr, The Price of Peoplehood
As religious leaders and their congregations go 'green', they've neglected one vital Judeo-Christian teaching that could cut energy consumption and pollution by 14.2857 percent (1/7): observing a weekly Sabbath. As we reduce our driving, shopping, and business by one-seventh, our footprint on the earth will reduce significantly.
Religious leaders have joined to battle global warming. But in their rush to recycle, reduce, and reuse, they have neglected the footprint-reducing potential of the full-day stoppage of work and consumption.
Renewed honoring of the Sabbath is not only be a gift relieving our sense of anxiety and lack of rest, but a gift to the earth.
Give the earth a Sabbath A Christian Science Monitor editorial
By Christopher D. Ringwald
from the September 12, 2007 edition
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About Beth Patterson
The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.
One of my favorite hats, among several is: initiated firekeeper in the Sacred Fire Community. Hosting a monthly community fire circle, I'm being taught that the simple act of sitting around a fire with the intent of holding open-hearted space makes for some soulful community!
With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 20 years in end of life care and I currently work in the field of child abuse intervention and advocacy.
Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.
I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.
Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.
Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.