Sabbath for the Activist: Fuel for the Fight

Fri 10 AM | Episcopal

J. Dana Trent

Thomas Merton wrote “Action is the stream and contemplation is the spring.” Effective activism requires both action and contemplation. As activists, we must consistently reflect on our values and ethics—the “why” of what we do. Jesus was an activist, yet he was contemplative. Sabbath, in the form of rest, reflection, worship, and community, connect us with the ethos of the Gospel: service and activism. Sabbath for the activist is a labyrinth: we enter from the outside world where we work tirelessly to foster equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice. We then turn inward toward the center to be refreshed, refueled, and reconnected with the intention and purpose of our service. We return back to the world more engaged with God, in touch with our motivations, and focused on the needs of those whom we serve. But sabbath for the activist is easier said than done amid endless and expanding needs. This workshop will help participants embrace sabbath as an essential tool for their service.

J. Dana Trent

The Rev. J. Dana Trent is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, Baptist clergywoman, award-winning author, speaker, and workshop facilitator. She teaches World Religions and Critical Thinking at Wake Technical Community College. Her work has appeared in Sojourners and The Christian Century, as well as on Time.com, Religion Dispatches, and Religion News Service. Her third book, “One Breath at a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation,” releases in January 2019. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, a devout Hindu and former monk. Their Christian-Hindu interfaith marriage is chronicled in Saffron Cross: The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk. Her second book with Upper Room Books, For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community, explores the how and why of slowing down for spirituality in a 24-7 world. She loves naps with cats, vegetarian food, and teaches weight-lifting for the YMCA.
http://jdanatrent.com/

Sessions:
111 Sabbath for the Activist
340 One Breath at a Time: A Skeptic’s Guide to Christian Meditation