Sabbath Rest...

The original Sabbath was Saturday. There are still a ton of people who celebrate on Saturday, but most of the folks I know think of Sunday as the Sabbath. I think it has to do with Adam and Eve's first living day being the day of God's rest after creation...their first day was full of enjoying all God had done the previous 6 days. True to form, God wants us to begin with rest and worship rather than end with it. Not only is the Sabbath supposed to occupy 1/7th of our life, it is supposed to occupy the first 1/7th of our life.

There are those two words! There is the phrase that makes every agnostic nerve boil. There are the words that jump out and grab my "rest", dragging it to the ground and kicking it until its loins are black and blue and every rib broken. There are the words that bring the car of "rest" crashing against a tree...that catapult "true rest" off the road of peace over the cliff of duty crashing it on the rocks of joyless obligation. The phrase slipped in there almost unconsciously but unavoidably...the phrase, if you missed it, is "supposed to."

Anything like "supposed to," "ought to," or "should" conjures feelings in me of obligation, indebtedness, work, accountability, and requirement. My breaks in life are "supposed to" be breaks from all of the "supposed tos" in life! Additionally, religions are full of "supposed tos" that lay guilt on my conscious and create neurotic fears.

I just re-watched "Chariots of Fire" which, amongst other things, highlights Eric Liddel's plight when he learned that the first heat of his 100 yard dash in the 1924 Olympics fell on a Sunday. His conviction about the Sabbath wouldn't allow him to run on Sunday so he withdrew from the race and ran the 400 yard dash a few days later. The story is gripping and Eric heroically triumphs in the face of opposition. Stonewall Jackson was a Sabbath keeper, too. When the battles fell on Sunday he would give the brigade the next day off to rest. He was arguably the most dynamic leader of the Civil War.

Today is Sunday and, in my culture, a day of rest. Even in Army basic training, where every day was exactly the same horrible experience, Sunday's seemed different. Sunday's were more peaceful...or is hopeful the right word for it?

I'm not a strict Sabbath keeper, but I do see that God's obligation to observe a Sabbath is wise and purposeful. Its similar to requiring Abigail to take a nap even though she doesn't want to...she needs it but as a two year old she doesn't want to miss out on all the other fun going on. If she doesn't get a nap, however, life is pretty miserable for her (and everyone else around her). She won't make the choice to rest when she needs it so I make the choice for her because that is what is best in the big picture.

Keeping a Sabbath is a deliberate choice. I have to choose to rest rather than rush; choose to turn-off the water flow of life rather than leaving it on. It is also a matter of trust...trust in God that life will not fall apart when I spend a day resting.

I should finish by saying that the Sabbath is intended not just to rest, but to rest with God. I've heard it said that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied with Him alone. Adam and Eve were not just in the Garden of Eden resting, they were in the Garden of Eden resting with God...he was present with them in the Garden. A Sabbath without worship is like a garden without plants. God's intent in the Sabbath, I believe, is to reconnect us to Him, His Church, and our truest passion. A Sabbath should leave us energized and focused, with a clearer mind and purpose so that we are ready to embrace the bedlam of the other 6 days of the week.

When Abigail is resistant to rest I find myself trying to Lull her to sleep in my arms. Today I'm going to let God Lull me to rest in his arms.