“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20)
Jesus said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.” (Mark 2)
I don’t think we should judge the value of our lives by how efficient they are. Haruki Murakami, Novelist
It never ceases to amaze me that God had to command people to rest.
I mean, think about it. Are we really so busy that we can’t take one day a week off to rest and recharge? It’s kind of like the people that always have their noses in their cell phones. Is what’s on their screen more important than being present for the people and events around them?
But, I digress.
What does Sabbath mean to you? I ask that because it means different things to different people and different things to different faiths. Even among Christians there are differences of opinion. Some see it as a day of rest, others as a day completely devoted to the worship of God. And still others as a day to do yard work.
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat, which is related to the verb meaning to “cease’ or ‘rest.’ Among some members of the Jewish faith, very strict rules were set in place to make sure the Sabbath was being observed correctly. You were allowed to walk only so many steps and could only do minimal food preparation. But, when Jesus and his disciples were criticized for doing too much on the Sabbath (plucking grains of wheat, healing, etc.), he told his detractors that they were missing the point. This day of rest was instituted for our benefit. Restrictive rules made the day burdensome, which defeated the purpose.
The idea of a Sabbath day goes back to the beginning of time – literally. In the first creation story (Genesis 1), God is busy creating for six days, then rests on the seventh day. Some scholars believe that the focus of the creation story wasn’t so much on God’s creating, but rather to highlight the Sabbath. That should tell us how important it is. But, how many of us actually take one day a week to rest?
In Spiritual Direction class we practice a number of different spiritual disciplines. One discipline we’re supposed to be observing is a Sabbath day. It doesn’t matter which day of the week it is, we are supposed to choose one and make it our day of rest each week. I randomly chose Thursday. It really didn’t matter which day I chose because, in some respects, every day is a rest day for me. To begin with, I’m retired. And, more to the point, I’m recovering from surgery, so I’m actually not allowed to do much of anything. But, the time will come when I’m fully recovered and able to work. What will happen then?
It will be challenging to intentionally take a day of rest each week. You see, I’m married to the Energizer Bunny. My wife rests when she’s sleeping, otherwise she’s constantly on the go. I’m not sure how to say to her: ”Jody, I’d like to help you with (fill in the blank), but this is my day of rest.” Do you see how that could be a problem?
We live in a culture that’s constantly doing. When we meet someone for the first time, we find out their name and then usually ask – “what do you do?” Our value comes from our doing. Or so we think.
Henri Nouwen, a world-famous writer, priest and lecturer, was a doer. And then God called him to take care of a mentally disabled young man named Adam. This was something completely out of Nouwen’s arena. He would bathe, dress, feed and accompany Adam every day. At first, Nouwen chafed at this. He was a famous writer, after all. He was busy, he was in demand. But, being with Adam taught him a very important lesson:
“First, he taught ne that being is more important than doing, that God wants me to be with him and not do all sorts of things to prove I’m valuable. My life had been doing, doing, doing. I’m a driven person, wanting to do thousands and thousands of things so that I can show – somehow, finally – that I’m worthwhile.”
Being is more important than doing. Maybe that’s the real lesson of Sabbath. Just being in God’s presence, being aware of God’s love and care for us. That can be done any time and in any place.
There is a little book I would recommend to you: The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. It’s short and can easily be read in less than an hour. But, its lessons can last a lifetime.
Lawrence was the cook in a monastery, and this book brings together his spiritual insights. The most profound insight Lawrence shared was the practice of continually talking to God through the day in order to be constantly aware of God’s presence. It didn’t matter what he was doing, whether he was on his knees or peeling potatoes, he rested in God’s presence, in God’s love.
For me, ultimately, the point of the Sabbath is to make a space where I can rest in God. Do I have to limit that to just one day a week? No, but I have to be realistic. If I’m not intentional about it, if I don’t put it in my calendar, there is a good chance that I won’t do it. God knew this, hence the command.
As I think about it, perhaps Sunday would be a better choice of Sabbath. Since I’m no longer a working pastor, it could become a day of rest, instead of the busiest day of the week. Beginning the day with worship should be a good head start to being aware of God throughout the rest of the day. I don’t know; we’ll have to see how it works. Maybe I can talk Jody into taking the day off with me. In the meantime, I would challenge you to consider unplugging one day a week. Do something that brings you joy and be intentional about including God. You might find that this time off will actually allow you to be more present to those you love.
I will leave you with these words from Brother Lawrence –
Go out in faith, with love and humility.
Mark
Divine Overtones 