Faithful Fun

A few summers’ ago, I attended a Music, Art, Spirituality and Justice Festival called the Wildgoose Festival. For many years, attending this event was on my list of: “Someday I want to go to.” The year following the pandemic of 2020, my spouse Ian and I were inspired to stop waiting for someday and take steps to attend the event. After attending our first Wildgoose, we have attended every summer. It has become a time for us to lean into a spiritual practice I like to call, being faithful to fun. How can faithfulness to fun be a spiritual practice, you ask?

Fun, in the context of a spiritual practice, falls into a Biblical principle of sabbath or rest. Consider just two of many examples in scripture on the importance of sabbath or rest: 1. In the creation accounts of Genesis (Chapter 1), God rests on the seventh day. 2. In Exodus (Chapter 20) rest is listed in the ten commandments as an essential spiritual practice.

In the field of theology, there are ongoing conversations regarding rest as essential for physical, psychological, spiritual health of people and society. Author and theologian Tricia Hersey, known as The Nap Bishop, understands rest, “a form of resistance and names sleep deprivation as a racial and social justice issue.” For more on her work, go to: https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/

To inspire you to make plans for a Summer of faithful fun here are two ways I learned more about the blessings of rest.

Practicing Fun

At the Wildgoose Festival, one of my favorite annual events is the Silent Disco. The premise of silent disco is clever. After nightfall, the dance tent opens and each dancer is given headphones that have three music channels. The dancer can click between the channels at will and the headphones change color in response to the channel. This change in color is a clue for fellow dancers. Those on the same channel sometimes gather together to create a dance huddle. Or the dancers can choose to stay solo in their dancing regardless of the music they are listening too. As I was new to Silent Disco, the host handed me headphones, gave me directions, and sent me to the dance floor.

I danced up to a group of people and even though we’d never met before, we laughed and danced like dear friends. Silent disco invites all the dancers to enjoy the music, experience the joy of community and have some needed and necessary fun.

Practicing Pride

Another space where I experience the spiritual gift of faithfulness to fun, is in taking part in annual community Pride events. A few years ago, I worked at a church tent at Pride Jamestown offering a rock painting activity, Love Rocks. All day long, guests would come up to paint a rock and talk about how much it meant for a church to be at Pride offering love and support. The church art tent became a place of rest, connection and a source of faithful fun.

Through Silent Disco and Pride, I have learned that being faithful to fun offers: renewal, playfulness, acceptance, community and abundance. This summer, I invite you to seek rest and fun as sacred assignment! May your Summer of 2026, be filled with faithfulness to fun, renewal and caring for all of God’s beloved children.

• Jamestown Pride is on Saturday, June 13th in Downtown Jamestown. Warren Pride is Saturday, June 20th from 9am to 3pm at Betts Park. Warren First Lutheran and First Presbyterian will be hosting a tent and giveaways and the Love Rocks art activity.

Question to Ponder: What rest or sabbath do you, your family and your community need most?

Chosen Name

Where is the light by which you long to be seen? / In colors that shimmer and glimmer in the in-betweens. / Wonder and whimsy fire the flame of what’s true. / You are blessed and beloved. / All of you. / Open the door. / Release your pain. / Sunlight streams through prisms. / Rainbows echo your chosen name.