Week of Sept. 6, 2015
The Scripture: For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15
The Practice of Returning
The Spiritual Focus: Returning is a continuous practice of faith and of yoga
The Devotion
Welcome back! [ breath ]
‘Welcome back’ is a theme we see at almost every turn this time of the year. Welcome back to school, to church; welcome back to a new rhythm at work and in life. We WELCOME you, back to your mats! For those who never left there is a restored sense of community when those who stepped away return. For those returning, a renewed sense of strength in numbers and wholeness in our life together.
Our scripture [today/tonight] is an invitation to the people of Israel and to us, to return to God and to rest. The invitation to return to God and God’s promise of presence and rest is an invitation that is repeated over and over again in the bible. It is a continuous invitation that realizes that we will wander off the path but are always welcomed back to God’s presence, now.
God’s promise is what we celebrate on our mats when we return to faith and practice, God’s promise of rest, Gods promise of salvation. The Latin root word for saved or salvation is salvus and means to be made whole or healed.
God’s invitation to return, to rest in quietness, to trust God to renew and restore your strength is an invitation to heal, to be made whole. The most beautiful thing about the invitation to return to our faith and to our mats is that God the Spirit is continually inviting us. We are always welcomed back.
The Breath Prayer
Inhale I AM (God’s Hebrew name FYI)
Exhale Back
