“When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, dressed in mourning clothes, and put ashes on his head. Then he went out into the heart of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly. […] a very great sadness came over the Jews. They gave up eating and spent whole days weeping and crying out loudly in pain. Many Jews lay on the ground in mourning clothes and ashes. When Esther’s female servants and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen’s whole body showed how upset she was. She sent everyday clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of mourning clothes, but he rejected them.” Esther 4:1, 3b-4 (CEB)

On Sunday we met Mordecai from the book of Esther. When Mordecai learns of planned violence of genocide against his people, he is overtaken by grief. Grief over such callousness and disregard for human life, grief over such comfort with violence, grief over those who were to be harmed.

Two dozen women sat in a neat circle together, mostly strangers. At the head of the circle (if there can be such a thing), four facilitators convened. Well, more beamed at the group who had come from all corners of the country and the UK.

These joyful hearted facilitators held many professional titles between them: spiritual directors, professional coaches, clergy, seminary professor, former dean of Duke Divinity School, organizational developer, healer, yoga instructor, non-profit founder, abbess at a monastic community, and more.

School just started and already there is a holiday on the horizon. 
 
Labor Day began as a day recognized by labor activists and individual states and is rooted during a time when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers made to the country. In June 1894 president Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday. (You can learn more about the origins of the holiday here.) 

We are coming to the end of the summer season and gearing up for fall. The leaves will change, the rains will return, the air will smell sweet, the animals will begin eagerly gathering all they need for the winter months. In this liminal time it’s important to remember who we are and who we were created to be. 

I’ve been reading blessings written by Meta Herrick Carlson. She offers the following blessing for rest.