The eCrozier

When we order our lives around the focus of our relationship with God by letting our Sabbath day be the highlight of our week, toward which everything moves and from which everything comes, then the security of God’s presence on that day will pervade the week.

The above quote is from Marva Dawn’s book: Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting. She contends that if we remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, we will find new appreciation for this gift from God. Sabbath keeping is the key to ordering the rest of our lives. But that is a tough sell in a culture that rewards over-functioning and keeping a frenetic pace as a sign of one’s. It shouldn’t be a tough sell in the Church, after all it is a commandment from God.

Many Christians, however, believe that taking a Sabbath rest is a sign of weakness. Keeping Sabbath is not a sign of weakness or a lack of a good work ethic. On the contrary, Sabbath keeping is essential self-care. Parker Palmer writes, “By surviving passages of doubt and depression on the vocational journey, I have become clear about at least one thing: self-care is never a selfish act-it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.”

Here are three ways I’m renewing my practice of Sabbath keeping for Advent. I invite you to do the same.

1. Sabbath keeping should be a break from expectations and productivity. I don’t need to accomplish anything on the Sabbath. Like everyone else in this culture, I’ve come to believe that unproductive time is wasted time. Not so. I’m going to read some books for the fun of it. I’m not going to set my alarm clock and just sleep in (if the dogs will let me). I’m going to putter around in the back yard, but not really do anything. I’m not going to answer email or turn on anything electronic (except the coffee maker!!!).

2. Sabbath keeping should be a break from consumerism. Like everyone else, I spend so much time during the week thinking about how to pay for my kid’s college, paying other bills, and acquiring things I think I need. Our consumer society provides us with so many choices that I can easily get sucked into the cycle of always wanting more. God calls us to a life of simplicity. On my Sabbath, I’m going thank God for all with which God has already blessed me. I’m not going to purchase anything on my Sabbath day.

3. Sabbath should be a break from being in control. This may be the hardest thing for me to lay aside. Many people depend on me. I carry a heavy load of responsibility that creates an illusion that I have control. The world in which I inhabit, and particularly the world of the Diocese of Georgia, can survive if I step off the merry-go-round for a day and aren’t around to run things. This is a test of faith. I don’t need to watch God’s back. God got along quite well before I arrived. Can I trust God to take care of things in my absence? If I can do so on my Sabbath, then maybe I can do so the other six days?

+Scott