Theology & Culture

The Power of Play & Leisure

by Abiding Together: Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Heather Khym, Michelle Benzinger

In this episode we discuss the importance of encountering God through play and leisure. We talk about how we remember what we played as children and when we stopped playing for a more serious, busy or productive adulthood. We chat about God’s desire to restore our playful hearts so that we may come as children with trust, dependence and surrender.

Discussion Questions

  1. What struck you from this week’s episode?

  2. How do you understand ‘play’ - as a waste of time, unnecessary, frivolous or as a sign of trust, surrender and dependence?

  3. What are small acts of play, rest and leisure that you enjoy? What are some new ways to incorporate play and leisure that God delights in into your life?

Journal Questions

  1. What is the history of play in your life? Reflect on what, when, and how you played as a child. When did you stop playing and why? How might God want to reclaim and redeem play in your life as an adult?

  2. How might you need to replace efficiency, business and work of being an adult with the joy and delight of being child-like? How does the Father delight in you as you play?

Quote to Ponder

“The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground.”
— G.K. Chesterton


Scripture for Lectio Divina

“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 18:3