The Gift of Sabbath
When I was barely 23 years old, I felt like I was nearing burn out. That’s kind of young to feel that way, don’t you think? I had been out of college for only a year, but the ministry job I was working at consumed my schedule. Add on the fact that I am extraverted and social, and you can understand how my schedule was practically filled with commitments, small groups, events, and people. I could feel how my busy schedule was affecting my soul-- I was increasingly anxious, unhealthy, and in need of rest. The way I was living was not sustainable.
It was in this season that I experienced what I take Jesus’ words about the Sabbath to mean: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28). Sabbath is a gift God created for us to receive every six days, because He knows we need it for our own rest and for the health of our souls. God knows we need this regular reminder and proclamation that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (and every day of the week for that matter). And God wants to rest with us.
Sabbath is a beautiful, albeit misunderstood or misapplied, practice that the people of God have long observed. In Genesis 2, we read that when God finished all His wonderful creating, He rested from His work and blessed the seventh day as holy. This moment is referenced in other parts of Scripture, like in the Ten Commandments when God sets up the Sabbath as a command for the people of Israel (Exodus 20:8-11). He tells them to keep this day holy and stop all of their work. This weekly practice of working for six days and resting for one day set the people of God apart from the other peoples and cultures of their time. It was a call to trust God to provide, and remember we do not have to do everything ourselves.
Why does this matter? It matters because God cares about who we are becoming, and He wants to form us in a way that leads to flourishing and fullness of life. If we look at how we typically orient our time, schedules, and desires, we see how easy it is to choose the patterns of this world over the ways of God. It is easy to notice how rushed we feel, how restless we are, and how we are always running from one thing to the next, trying to catch up in some area of life. We feel the weight of responsibility with work, family, friendships, and even our faith. Good things become burdensome and possibly make us resentful. This does not sound like flourishing. We need God to touch every part of our lives, to renew us and show us what faithfulness to Him looks like, to give us a new rhythm with which to match the pace we walk.
Sabbath re-orients us to God. What is your life oriented around—what do you plan around? What controls your time and schedule? How often do we orient our days around the presence and gifts of God?
Sabbath re-orients us to relate to God, creation, other people, and ourselves in the Way of God. The Sabbath is a day for the people of God to slow down their fast-paced, distracted, and work-filled lives. It is a day to practice remembering. We remember that the world still functions when we are not clocked into work. We remember that real connection can happen apart from cell phones and computers. We remember that there is so much beauty to behold, that God’s creation is good. We remember that God meets us in the ordinariness of a walk through the neighborhood, a cup of tea, a conversation with a neighbor, playing catch, or sitting in our favorite chair. He is all around us, and when I rest--I remember to notice Him. I remember that He indeed is Lord, and that all things live and move and have their being in Him (Acts 17:24).
Jewish families around the world continue to practice Sabbath, which is also known as Shabbat. It traditionally begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. Jewish families spend time in preparation for Shabbat, so that no work is done at all on the day of rest. In our twenty-first century mindset, that might seem impossible or unreasonable. But I think there is wisdom to glean from the ancient practice--especially the seriousness with which they approach their set apart time with God. The week is oriented around this sacred time with God, and not in such a way that is somber and morose. Rather, it is a day to delight, eat a meal with community, relax, and reset our rhythms and heart rates to fit with God’s. It is a day to return to Him, to rest with Him, and remember our Salvation.
Overtime, I have learned that slowing down and paying attention to God has fostered more intimacy in my relationship with Him and more trust in Him. When I regularly practice a Sabbath day, I find myself looking forward to it throughout the week, yearning to move slowly with God and delight with Him as I walk through the woods or read a book just for the fun of it. Because the truth of the matter is that we are wayward and forgetful people, and without God’s help we would fall into the ways of the world. We need God’s grace to keep in step with Him, and in His grace He has given us a rhythm to follow that helps us do just that.
At Church of the Redeemer, we are good at signing up for activities and groups, and we truly believe that is forming us as missional people. At the same time, we encourage rest and renewal in the Lord--a slowing down for delight and contemplation on our beautiful God, knowing He is forming our souls through that process as well. I pray that we would receive God's invitation to come, rest, and be saturated by His presence.
Join us on March 20th for a day of Sabbath rest with your community. Learn more about the event and register here. And as the Jewish saying goes, Shabbat shalom! (Sabbath of peace!)
-Madison Miller, NGP Farm Intern
