Snow Day Slowdown

On the Feast of Epiphany, January 6, nearly ten inches of snow fell on Washington, D.C. and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs. For the first time in three years, the city virtually shut down.  Schools were closed for two days. Only a handful of cars crept along the Beltway, and nothing was moving in our unplowed neighborhood. It was a great day for strong coffee, a hearty breakfast, an old-fashioned board game, and a good book or movie. In our case, it was two snow days with our two grandchildren, 12 and 14, while their parents were on holiday.

One translation of Psalm 46:10 counsels, “Pause awhile and know that I am God.” Other translations say, “Be still and know that I am God.” While I value the intentional practice of being still and spending an hour each day in contemplative prayer, there is something worthy in pausing and letting go of your agenda-- even the things we like most-- and taking a snow day in which you neither “toil or spin,” but quietly and gently enjoy the calm of an agenda-free day. Simply enjoying the moment, letting the river of life flow, and going with the flow of an unplanned day. Even among retired pastors, church leaders, and spouses, the “world is [often} too much with us; late and soon, gaining and spending, we lay waste our powers,” as William Wordsworth complains. We have our scheduled plans and often become frustrated or disappointed when things don’t work out, or when a simple plan leads to unintended complications that swallow up our discretionary time.

While not every climate can provide gentle snow days, it is important to set aside days to do nothing, to let go of control over the world and our own schedules, trusting God with the planet for 24 hours. Even retired social activists need a day in which we are, as the song says, “busy doing nothing.” Whether chosen or enforced by the weather, we all need a spiritual Sabbath. Indeed, Sabbath-keeping is so important for our spiritual well-being that Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel referred to the Sabbath as the “sanctuary of time.”

It is unlikely that many of us would want to go back to compulsory “blue laws” forbidding business dealings on Sundays, or at least until the pastor’s benediction. A humorous note from my childhood: I recall that on Sundays in my hometown of King City, California, restaurants didn’t open until noon, and we Baptists had to wait in line for Sunday supper because our services were longer than the Methodists and Episcopalians. We did, however, queue up ahead of members of the local Pentecostal church, whose services stretched into hours depending on the movements of the Holy Spirit.

In the life of the church, family and youth participation has been eclipsed by weekend sports, including Sunday morning soccer, baseball, and swimming. On those rare Sunday mornings without sporting events or birthday parties, many parents simply want a leisurely coffee and a good book while the kids are playing video games or out with friends—just to chill out. In a busy schedule, church can become just “one more thing,” rather than the anchor from which to interpret the diverse events of our lives.

Chrisopher Robin confesses to his companion, Winnie the Pooh, that one of his regrets about starting school is that he can no longer reply, “I’m doing nothing,” when adults ask what he’s doing. Retirement is an opportunity for new volunteer activities, travel, hobbies, and pastimes. It should also be a time for empty space, naps, random television shows, and reading just for the fun of it. For sitting on your porch, gazing at the sunset, awestruck by the wonder of life. (And such awe-filled experiences have been found to be good for your health! But please don’t plan too carefully for awe-filled moments!) Or, gazing without intentionality at clouds scudding by or the flora and fauna of your environment.

I have to admit that I have plenty to do: writing, class and sermon preparation, study, and mentoring. But even here, I try not to have more than four to five hours of programmed time each day. The rest I leave to spontaneity and synchronicity, just doing nothing, or hanging out with my wife, a friend, or my grandchildren.

So, in the days of winter leading toward Lent, even if it’s not snowing, take time for “snow days” and relax into God’s abundant Sabbath time. Pause awhile and know that God is with you.