sacred summer
I always have high hopes and grand goals for seasons of life, particularly summer. In thinking and reflecting over this coming summer, I felt struck by the desire or hope for it to be a sacred summer. I'm not quite sure what that means yet, and might not know until the end. But with God's help I hope for this summer to be a time of diving deeper into the kingdom of God that is found within me, and learning to live in rhythms that bring me into the permeation of God.
And from less of a bird's-eye view, these are some of my current goals for this summer. And I truly believe these are all part of my gift of a sacred summer, because sacred doesn't mean spiritual, it simply means that it is connected and dedicated to God. With that understanding, I want each area of my life, and the following goals, to be sacred.
Study
I know I just finished 4 years of this, but some things are just too fascinating to stop studying! I get to research Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls for a job... so that's incredible. But on my own I want to get back into studying Greek and Hebrew faithfully, as well as the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the topic of New Testament canon formation.
Read
The stack of books on my desk is steadily growing, but I can't wait to read as many as possible!
Read the Bible
I'm hoping to read the entire Bible, keeping my eye open for the ways the Bible's accounts of women have shaped the church's understanding of what women should be, for good or for ill. More on that to come later (maybe in a book someday...).
Eat
I've got to start learning to make food... how did I survive university?! And I've been wanting to get back to making my own kombucha ever since I left China!
Exercise
Maybe hiking... maybe cycling... maybe running... but it's gotta be something. If you have any great ideas let me know. Right now my favorite option is tree climbing.
Write
Write what? Big things in the works, but I can't give them away quite yet! Keep your eyes peeled.
Budget
Plain and simple. If I can keep tabs on how much money I actually have and how much I actually spend, I'd say I will have achieved my goal. No more of this wondering whether my debit card will get approved or denied at the till!
Paint
This might be my more unrealistic goal, but I'd love to learn how to paint Christian icons. I'd particularly like to re-interpret many of the icons of Christ with women. I wonder if I have to be authorized? Who knows. We'll see how that goes.
Pray
Like St. Benedict, I want to incorporate a rhythm of prayer into my life, particularly the morning, midday, and evening offices. Morning is a habit for me, evening happens most of the time, but rarely do I ever make time to stop and pray and re-center in the middle of my day. I hope this is the time to make that a pattern that lasts!
I am excited walking into the unknown, praying for God's favor and for a sacred summer that guides me deeper into a sacred life, one intimately and completely connected and dedicated to God.
And from less of a bird's-eye view, these are some of my current goals for this summer. And I truly believe these are all part of my gift of a sacred summer, because sacred doesn't mean spiritual, it simply means that it is connected and dedicated to God. With that understanding, I want each area of my life, and the following goals, to be sacred.
Study
I know I just finished 4 years of this, but some things are just too fascinating to stop studying! I get to research Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls for a job... so that's incredible. But on my own I want to get back into studying Greek and Hebrew faithfully, as well as the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the topic of New Testament canon formation.
Read
The stack of books on my desk is steadily growing, but I can't wait to read as many as possible!
Read the Bible
I'm hoping to read the entire Bible, keeping my eye open for the ways the Bible's accounts of women have shaped the church's understanding of what women should be, for good or for ill. More on that to come later (maybe in a book someday...).
Eat
I've got to start learning to make food... how did I survive university?! And I've been wanting to get back to making my own kombucha ever since I left China!
Exercise
Maybe hiking... maybe cycling... maybe running... but it's gotta be something. If you have any great ideas let me know. Right now my favorite option is tree climbing.
Write
Write what? Big things in the works, but I can't give them away quite yet! Keep your eyes peeled.
Budget
Plain and simple. If I can keep tabs on how much money I actually have and how much I actually spend, I'd say I will have achieved my goal. No more of this wondering whether my debit card will get approved or denied at the till!
Paint
This might be my more unrealistic goal, but I'd love to learn how to paint Christian icons. I'd particularly like to re-interpret many of the icons of Christ with women. I wonder if I have to be authorized? Who knows. We'll see how that goes.
Pray
Like St. Benedict, I want to incorporate a rhythm of prayer into my life, particularly the morning, midday, and evening offices. Morning is a habit for me, evening happens most of the time, but rarely do I ever make time to stop and pray and re-center in the middle of my day. I hope this is the time to make that a pattern that lasts!
I am excited walking into the unknown, praying for God's favor and for a sacred summer that guides me deeper into a sacred life, one intimately and completely connected and dedicated to God.
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