I have the privilege of spending this week of study leave away from the city and amongst the trees! (The smell here is amazing!) I am attending a virtual preaching conference and enjoying a slow-paced week of study and rest!

The wi-fi network where I am staying – ctrl.alt.retreat – reminded me that I was in need of a hard reset! You know when your computer is acting up, running slow, or freezing when you are in the middle of a project and you have to manually restart – ctrl.alt.delete.  I didn’t realize until Monday morning that I too was in need of a hard reboot.  Time away to just be, a change of scenery away from distractions, a change of pace without a schedule…a retreat from the dailyness of life.

I forget sometimes that we are not meant to run everyday at full speed; to fill our every waking moment with tasks; go from one urgent task to the next without a break in-between and then wake up the next day and do it all again.  There is always a growing, never-ending to-do list.  There is always something that needs to be done that feels urgent and absolutely necessary to manage at the moment it arises.  And I often feel that time is a thief…there is never enough of it no matter how hard we try to manage it.

Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10)

This is one of those scriptures that have become a mantra for me.  A scripture that often runs through my thoughts and calls me back to a place of quiet…unless, of course, I am malfunctioning and in need of a reboot!  So, Monday morning my class began with an invitation of that verse to pause and be still.  A reminder that we are no good to ourselves or anyone else if we aren’t taking time to be still in God’s presence – with no hidden agenda, or looming to-do list, but simply to be still!  

So this week, in between my class and homework, I am working on NOTHING!  I have a stack of books to read, a dog that demands to be cuddled, walks to be taken, and naps to be had…but none of it is work and none of it is scheduled!  I am letting go of agendas, hitting pause on my to-do list, and letting myself reboot…simply being still and being with God.  Ctrl–Alt-Retreat!  (I hope you can do the same!)

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

“Step out of the traffic!
Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

(Psalm 46:10, MSG)