Do you have enough time in your day? Do you ever wish you had an extra hour or two to finish up your emails, your laundry, your errands? Do you ever wake up on Monday morning feeling as though you never had a weekend? I asked these questions to the kids in our Sunday school, and it broke my heart to see them all agree. When I asked if they ever hear their parents make similar comments, they chuckled as heads nodded vigorously. I asked them if they knew that God actually commands us to stop working and relax. Heads tilted, eyes narrowed in doubt as I explained to the Sunday school that God commands them to nap, eat, binge on Netflix, God has given them a gift that allows them to be a bit lazy and indulgent. This was met by silence and then one student who was deeply processing this idea said, “waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait… does this mean I don’t have to do my math homework?” “No”, I told her “because you had all summer to do it.” Knowing it was too good to be true she threw herself back into the pew, arms folded across her chest. With that we looked at Genesis.
For six days God worked and worked hard creating everything we see today. God made light and dark, water and sky. God painstakingly sculpted and birthed all the animals in the sea, the sky and the land. God created plants and flowers and ways for everything to survive and reproduce. That was a lot of work. After six days, God could have kept going, He could have chugged some coffee and despite being tired, cranky and uninspired, forced Himself to keep going until He crashed. He didn’t do that. Instead, after creating six days, God created one more, one extra day and on that day He rested. Creation didn’t fall apart, the universe didn’t come to an end because God wasn’t there to manage it all. Instead, it and we all benefited from God’s taking a Sabbath and taking time to rest.
In many forms of Judaism this idea of a Sabbath is taken very seriously. For them it is a beautiful day where families get together for a meal they enjoy rather than rush through. They don’t touch technology so no phones, no work emails or school board messages allowed. Depending on the type of Judaism being practiced, some don’t drive but will instead walk to synagogue, to friend’s home. It’s a day where they worship, read, nap and spend time with loved ones. It is a day they crave, a day likened to bride on her wedding day.
How can we enjoy this when we live in a culture where sabbath isn’t honored, in fact I would dare go so far as to say it is shamed? Ironically observing the sabbath is a commandment but I think we feel like we are being bad Christians by enjoying this beautiful and very luxurious gift from God. We have too much to do, to take time for ourselves feels selfish, it feels irresponsible. When we ignore this week after week we take a beautifully wrapped present from God and we toss it in the trash. My challenge to myself and to the Sunday school is to take one aspect of the Sabbath and try to work it into your week. Taking a whole day is almost impossible but an hour, even a half hour to take a walk, luxuriate over a meal, talk to someone face to face, sleep or even simply be alone is a habit that can be fostered and deeply enjoyed. In coming weeks of Sunday school we will be looking at the different elements of the Jewish Sabbath, we learn how Jesus celebrated this each week and we will find ways to integrate some of these things into our lives so we can be refreshed, obedient and appreciative of this luxurious gift from God.
~ Small Group Meetings ~
The last small group meetings will be held at 9:00 and 11:15 on September 9th, 16th and 23rd. Signup sheets will be available at the 8:00 am service and in the Narthex each Sunday, and walk-ins are welcome.
If you haven’t been able to attend yet, please sign up, attend one of the meetings and complete the survey. If you would like to reserve a spot in a small group meeting and cannot make it to church to sign up, contact Michael Harrigian at (626) 441-0787 or mharrigian@sbcglobal.net
The survey provides an opportunity to express your view of
St. Edmund’s as it is today and your hopes for its future and it is vital that everyone participate in order to ensure a complete and accurate description of our parish for new rector candidates. The results of the survey will be compiled, presented to the parish and used by the Search Committee in identifying the permanent rector best suited to our needs.
~ Upcoming Events ~
Sunday, September 9
Welcome Back Sunday
Team 2 Acolyting
Children’s Liturgy
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
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Tuesday, September 13
The Truth About Vaping: What Parents Need to Know
Presented by Dr. Adupa P. Rao
9 am & 7 pm | Huntington Middle School Auditorium
Until recently, electronic cigarettes were uncommon, hard to find, and a mystery to most people. Now they’re everywhere. Though the public hears a lot about e-cigarettes and vaping in the media, they don’t know much about them. Government statistics found millions of teens have tried it-nearly 36 percent of 12th graders had tried some form of vaping in 2017. Studies show that some teens who likely would not have smoked regular cigarettes are using e-cigarettes. It also found teens who do vape are six times more likely as those who never vaped to later begin smoking. Come learn what you need to know about vaping and its impact. Why do teenagers act the way they do? Discover the latest cutting-edge science that uncovers take-home tips and strategies to better understand, support, and help the teenage brain. Learn the surprising science of what happens in the developing teenage brain and why the teenage years are a critical time in brain development. Understand the impact of stress and trauma, why certain types of stress should be embraced, and science-based strategies parents and educators can utilize to teach teenagers effective stress management and resilience. Research has shown that when core emotional needs are not met during the formative years of a child, schemas (life traps) will develop. While no one’s parenting can ever be perfect, hear from authors John Philip Louis and Karen McDonald Louis of “Good Enough Parenting: Raising Emotionally Healthy Children” step-by-step ways parents can learn to meet these core emotional needs and provide parenting advice that is “good enough” to prevent exasperation and schemas from developing in their children.
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Sunday, September 16
SENS SUNDAE
Welcome new and returning SENS Families
with an ice cream feast after worship.
Team 3 Acolyting
Children’s Liturgy
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
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Wednesday, September 19
A Conversation with Noah Bullock
Executive Director, Cristosal
7 pm | Parish Hall
Join a conversation with Noah Bullock, Executive Director of Cristosal, the leading NGO working on forced displacement due to violence in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras-countries from which the majority of families at our border are fleeing. Cristosal takes a holistic, human rights-based approach that ranges from emergency humanitarian assistance for victims of forced displacement to strategic litigation that brings
structural change so victims can count on protection and assistance from their own governments.
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Sunday, September 23
Welcome Back Sunday
Team 4 Acolyting
Children’s Liturgy
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
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Sunday, September 30
Mass on the Grass
The Angeloff’s
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Thursday, October 4
Managing Stress in the Teenage Brain
Presented by Dr. Marc Milstein
11 am | Carver Scrim Auditorium
7 pm | HMS Auditorium
Why do teenagers act the way they do? Discover the latest cutting-edge science that uncovers take-home tips and strategies to better understand, support, and help the teenage brain. Learn the surprising science of what happens in the developing teenage brain and why the teenage years are a critical time in brain development. Understand the impact of stress and trauma, why certain types of stress should be embraced, and science-based strategies parents and educators can utilize to teach teenagers effective stress management and resilience.
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Sunday, October 7
Team 1 Acolyting
Children’s Liturgy
10 am | Chapel
Sunday School
10:30 am | Sunday School Classrooms
Youth Group
Haunted Hayride
LA Zoo
~ Upcoming Events to Put on Your Calendar ~
Sunday, October 28
Nightmare Before Christmas
El Capitan Theater
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Sunday, December 2
Wicked
The Pantages
Please feel free to contact Heather if you have questions.
