Selah is a musical or liturgical directive that invites either a raised voice or a pause. Selah is what I hope to experience over the next few months in a Selah Season— a sabbatical from job responsibilities, deadlines, and routine in order to rest my brain and to refresh my soul. I am intrigued by the double meaning of selah and like the idea of pausing while also being poised to raise my voice in praise, or prayer or lament.

To be completely honest, I am not sure how these few months will go. I find it hard to sit still for very long, my brain never stops thinking.thinking.thinking, and my phone provides an annoyingly simple distraction. I am amazed by my ability to waste time by passively scrolling through Twitter or Anthropologie’s sales. I also play Words With Friends (and consistently lose to my sister-in-law).

So, as I begin this sojourn my main goal is to stop for a awhile, let the dust settle and listen for the Lord’s voice. To start, I’m going to attempt to decrease my screen time. Instead of seeing this message : “Congratulations Cas! Your phone activity has increased by so-many hours this week.” I want to see, “Cas, what happened to you? Your screen time has DECREASED over the past few months..”

Here are a few things I plan to do while I wait and listen:

1. Sit in silence with God and also listen for his voice in the Gospel of John. What helps you to sit still and listen?

2. Explore some of the many walking trails in our area on prayer walks and raise a few hallelujahs along the way. If you live in RDU tell me which is your favorite trail.

3. Plant a pretty flower-pot garden on our deck.

4. Discover the best recipe ever for gluten-free bread—send me yours if you have a good one!

5. Write one academic article to submit for peer review. Craig, my academic mentor says, “Either you keep writing or you stop growing.”

I hope to post some of my discoveries and learning here and would love for you to join me in the Selah stillness. Feel free to DM me @CasMonaco.