"Sabbath keeping is not about taking a day off but about being recalled to our knowledge of and gratitude for God's activity in creating the world, giving liberty to captives, and overcoming the powers of death."

- Dorothy C. Bass

How many of us recognize the need to pause and take in the words and actions that Dorothy Bass offers? I am profoundly aware of the continual need in my life to stop and rest in the need for intentional and quieter God time. Walking, playing with the cats, reading, going to church and more are all ways that I pray and reconnect with God.

I am pleased to announce that Dennis Northway, our parish musician will be given some intentional Sabbath-keeping time in the form of a sabbatical. He will be spending time writing a requiem and singing Evensong at a cathedral in England. Dennis and I are working on the various details of this sabbatical. We know that it will be the Fall of 2015 and that Kipp Cortez, former Madrigal member and current doctoral student, will be the acting Parish Musician during this time. Other people will be enlisted to assist in a variety of ways.

Dennis, the vestry and I see this as a time for his personal growth as well as ours.

How can you support this sabbatical? Pray for Dennis, Kipp and Grace. Help support the sabbatical by giving a contribution to the "Musician Sabbatical Fund." We have raised $8400 of the $12,000 that is needed to support paying a supply musician for the sabbatical. One giver has promised up to $6000 of the $8400. Why up to that amount? We want the entire congregation to feel a part of this moment. Please feel free to send a check to Grace, marked, "Musicians Sabbatical Fund."

In the meantime, how are you getting a little Sabbath time in your life?