The Year of Extravagant Rest
I cannot tell you how many mornings I woke up in 2023 convinced that I was clinically depressed. I would lay in bed for longer than I wanted, drink coffee but eat no breakfast, stare glumly at the screen wondering which email to answer first, and just generally slump through the day. Kinda miserable all around
But on the nights I got good sleep? Up bright and early, nutritious breakfast, answering emails with gusto, and even walking around Sloans Lake a couple times.
It’s obvious when I write it out, but it took me years to connect these two dots: good rest equals happiness and satisfaction. I forgive myself for missing that for so long because our ENTIRE CULTURE is predicated on never resting.
My culture in general values productivity above all; more than truth, more than service, more than kindness, more than personhood. As Terrence McKenna points out, it’s no wonder that coffee is our beloved idol. This powerful plant overrides the parts of our chemical systems that tell us we’re tired and has us believe that we have more energy for things than we actually have.
Is something keeping you from getting good rest? Racing thoughts, endless distraction, or even tiredness itself? Book a Clairvoyant Counseling session and let’s see what’s keeping you up at night.
In other words, our culture pressures us to create a deficit in ourselves. In service to this culture we debt on sleep, health, nutrition, spirituality, stillness, love, connection, and more. I could write 100 more newsletters about the death energy (i.e. depletion and debting energy) woven through this culture.
But I want to start the year by talking about unweaving debt energy instead. And of course I’m going to bring in some Jesus to do it.
First I’d like to point out that Jesus was more often than not giving his teachings around a meal, and I’m not just talking about communion.
Lest we forget, Jesus’ first act of public ministry was at a wedding feast. This was followed by a meal with tax collectors, then dining at the houses of Pharisees and lepers (read; MAGA-hatters and meth addicts). The man even managed to eat after he was resurrected, joining his disciples around a campfire on the way to Emmaus. S’mores, anyone?
Now what the scriptures don’t say - but anyone listening at the time would know - is that the Romans liked to eat in style. Of course Jesus wasn’t Roman but he was certainly steeped in that culture. And what the Romans liked to do was have decadently, extravagantly, luxuriously relaxing feasts.
In other words, they rested when they ate. They actually reclined and had food dropped in their mouths. Is there anything more delightful than that?
Need some spiritual food dropped in your mouth while you recline? Every Clairvoyant Counseling session is done over the phone and more than a few of my clients do them lying down.
There’s even a whole subset of Orthodox Iconography that depicts Christ reclining. These paintings are known as Anapeson icons and come from Jacob’s ancient Hebrew blessing describing his sons as sleeping lions whose peaceful rest indicates the presence of God. C’mon, what a blessing!
So of course Christ depicted in the middle of Jacob’s blessing really gets my attention. A resting messiah? An eternally peaceful resting lion of a Messiah? Have you ever seen a lion sleep? Is that a dreamy Messiah or what.
All of this is to say that I’ve got a kind of double New Year’s resolution. The first is rest above all, extravagant rest, rest so deep I touch the heart of God. And the second is rest in service to perfect timing, fluid action, wise movement, and ‘productivity’ that perfectly matches my energy with not one iota more.
I hope you’ll join me in these commitments to honoring our true energetic needs and have a wonderful year ahead.
A Good Website is a Done Website
Though I’ve spent a bit too much time designing and fine-tuning the new website, I’m reminded of a seminary professor who said “ A good paper is a done paper.” So in honor of that I invite you to explore the new (good enough to be called done!) website.
I’m officially Clairvoyant Counseling and I’m having so much fun with clients who somehow already found me before I was even public. Leap and the net will appear, they say! Actually I’ve been saying that for years but never tried it for myself until now. Folks, it really works.
Come join me at www.ClairvoyantCounseling.com for everything we love and nothing we don’t. I’ll meet you there.
New Course: In Pursuit of Joy
Hard to believe it but Lent is right around the corner! It starts on February 14th this year. I’m offering a 6-week online course with the following teachings:
Elimintating Joy blocks and recognizing Joy sucks
Clearing the landing pad for Joy to arrive
Opening as a channel for Joy
Connecting with the Joyful saints and enlightened masters
6 live sessions with the group to practice Joy and sharing Joy (will be recorded)
One Clairvoyant Counseling session for each person to look at how Joy is or isn’t moving in your life
Lots of bonus goodies from all the strange and delightful sources I’ve got in this big fat brain of mine
Cost is $315 and enrollment begins Jan 14th. Mighty Networks Members get 15% off if. Keep your eyes peeled!
Want to know more about the art? All images are hyperlinked to the artists’ websites, or as close as I could find. Top image is “Night Comes” by Svetlana Ignatova. Bottom image is a mystery. Do you know who the artist is? Please tell me!
Thank you so much to folks who forward and respond to these newsletters. I love hearing from you and hearing that you’ve shared my work. Good theology matters.
