A key to Sabbath Rest?

Rest.


I am very grateful for my lesson learned this week about Sabbath rest. I went to bed early (for me) last night. I got a full 8 hours. I rarely get a full 8 hours. And after worship and lunch today, I took a nap.

It's useless to rise early and go to bed late,

and work your worried fingers to the bone.

Don't you know he enjoys

giving rest to those he loves?

Psalm 127:2 The Message

The Meaning of Sabbath Rest (Part 1)

There are three principles that bring meaning to this concept of sabbath rest according to Gordon MacDonald in his book "Ordering Your Private World (OYPW)." The first he calls Closing the Loop implying that the task is completed.

""When God rested, He looked upon His work, enjoyed its completed appearance, and then reflected on its meaning: "And God saw that it was good" (Gen 1:10) This shows the first of the three principles of genuine rest. God gave His work meaning and acknowledged its completion. In doing so he taught us there is a necessary exercise of appreciation and dedication for our routines.

So you could say that on the seventh day, God closed the loop on His primary creation activity. He closed it by resting and looking back upon it to survey what has been accomplished.

This rest is then first of all, a time of looking backward... We gaze upon our work and ask questions like: What does my work mean? For whom did I do this work? How well was the work done? Why did I do this? What results did I expect, and did I receive?

To put it anther way, the rest God instituted was meant first and foremost to cause us to interpret our work, to press meaning into it to make sure we know to whom it is properly dedicated." (OYPW, pg 173.)

Today as I grow in making sabbath rest a real rhythm in my life, I am focusing on this first meaning of sabbath rest. The other two are according to MacDonald, "Returning to Eternal Truths" and "Defining our Mission".

Adjusting to Sabbath Rest

What I learned this week about Sabbath rest is that it is not a one day adjustment. It calls for the adjustment of your whole life. I began thinking about it early in the week, realizing that I needed to change my laundry habit. I also had given thought to simplifying our Sunday meals. I picked up my old copy of Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald that has a wonderful section on Sabbath. I want to enjoy and reconnect with my family as a part of this rest. I desire to refresh my soul with meditative quiet. I tried to prepare. However, I did not fully tweek my week to take full advantage of my Sabbath.

I did get some time with the family. I couldn’t rest enough to take advantage of the early morning quiet I had. I had to late in the week sought out the book I mentioned. And, what bothered me the most is that due to a lack of planning I started my evening Sabbath scurrying to get a hair cut before the shop closed at 6:30. I could not put it off since I was sharing briefly at a friend's church and I looked like a very Grizzly Adams! I consoled myself with he fact that I spent the evening with Grizzly Jr. (Kyril), and had a great conversation with the hair stylist. Nonetheless, it is no way to start a day of rest!

I did greatly enjoy ending my Sabbath rest with 3 friends praying Vespers at The Commonplace. And I did receive a challenging word that I will be meditating on all week as I seek to bring my work in line with it. (That is for another post.)

So, armed with my new knowledge and with 6 days to prepare, I will be in a better place to rest on my next Sabbath eve.

Sabbath Rest

Last post I ended with thinking about a rhythm of life. Work dominates my life. Five days a week I head into Charlotte driving about 45 minutes each way. I am at work for 9 hours. I get an hour for lunch. This is not unlike many people. On Saturday I get up just as early to go to work with Common Cupboard. I am usually done by noon.

One basic rhythm is a sabbath rest each week. It is so important god put in in his big 10. I must confess, I have never truly practiced the rest of a weekly sabbath. I say I am too busy for it. During my spiritual formation group meeting this past Monday I committed to observing the 24 hours from sunset Saturday to sunset Sunday as a sabbath rest.

So I have been thinking this week how to go work free for my sabbath rest. I am going to have to change some things ... simple meals, laundry on a different day, no paper work. there is a couple will be continuing to consider the implications and then enjoy my sabbath rest this week.