A Time For Sabbath

I have shared in recent posts that I will be taking a six-week sabbatical beginning August 16. This is my first sabbatical since entering Unity ministry in 2008. While I have been looking forward to this time away for many months and am still eagerly anticipating it, I am somewhat anxious about taking so much time off and being away from home for so long.

I know that I am exceedingly blessed to be given this opportunity. Many people never have the chance to take extended time away from their daily lives and spend time reconnecting to themselves and to Spirit. I am grateful to Spirit and to my Unity Spiritual Center Denver family for this opportunity. My spirit and soul tell me that this time will be healing and renewing. I am doing my best to pay attention and to follow as I am led.

We all need rest. Our need for rest is as important as our need for sleep. It is an aspect of the natural rhythm of life. While extended time off from our daily activities is often enriching and necessary, we also need to create the space for rest amidst the busyness of our lives on a routine basis.

As I have been pondering my sabbatical, I have revisited one of my favorite books, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives, by Wayne Muller. I have highlighted passages on nearly every page in my printed copy. I also have the electronic and audible version of the book. I refer to it often when I become aware of the need to stop and reconnect; apparently, not frequently enough.

Reverend Muller reminds us that “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy” is the only commandment that begins with the word ‘remember,’ denoting that it is something we all know, but have forgotten. In the hurry of our active lives, we forget.

‘24/7’ seems to have become a modern-day mantra in our culture. We have access to just about everything we desire 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have access to information on the internet anytime day or night. Some of us can work around-the-clock from our home offices if we choose. We can bank, shop or be entertained whenever the urge strikes. We can do most of it without ever leaving the comfort of our own homes.

Some wear ‘24/7’ as if it were a badge of honor – “I’m working 24/7 to get this project finished or to drive this deal home.” “I’m BUSY” is now a common response to the question, “How are you?”  

Muller posits that we have accepted constant activity as a part of our value system. In our efforts to accomplish, achieve and accumulate, he asserts that we have lost the value for rest, renewal, and remembrance. Further, that we have abandoned the value of observing the Sabbath.

Throughout time, there have been social taboos, and even laws to restrict activity on the Sabbath. While not as prevalent in many states today, legislators in our country still artificially enforce keeping the Sabbath by imposing “blue laws” which make it illegal for businesses to open, or restrict the items sold, on Sundays. It is currently against the law in Colorado to sell a vehicle on Sunday.

We have attempted to make the Sabbath about what not to do, rather than try to understand its true purpose. As Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27 NRSV). Regardless of how it has been misunderstood and misused in the past, Sabbath is a sacred concept that, when observed, can serve us well.

Muller says,

“The Sabbath is not a burdensome requirement from some law-giving deity – ‘You ought, you’d better, you must’ – but rather a remembrance of a law that is firmly embedded in the fabric of nature. It is a reminder of how things really are, the rhythmic dance to which we unavoidably belong.”

The observance of Sabbath, in its highest intention, does not limit activities that one may engage in on a specified day, nor does it mandate setting aside an entire day. Sabbath is time we consciously choose to set aside to honor ourselves and our unity in God.

According to the creation story in Genesis, God rested on the seventh day. God didn’t get dressed up and go to church, or catch up on what was missed during the six days of creating the world. God rested. The story reminds us that rest is an integral aspect of our spiritual, as well as our human experience.

It seems, in our culture, we may have lost sight of the value of resting in conscious connection in the One. I affirm that it is time for us to return to observing Sabbath. It is time for us to stop the violence of pushing ourselves beyond our limits. It is time for us to begin to care for ourselves. When we begin to take time to care for ourselves, we will begin to take a little more time to care for each other and for our world.

Perhaps an archaic concept, such as ‘Sabbath,’ can help save us from ourselves. It is certainly a concept that I intend to explore for myself as I embark on this sabbatical journey. I encourage you to find ways to engage with Sabbath in your life.

I invite you to join us this Sunday at 10:00 MDT, either in person or virtually, as we explore and experience Sabbath. It will be a time to rest, renew and remember. Our service will include extended periods for quiet contemplation and meditation. Discover how remembering the Sabbath can make a difference in your life.

P.S. These posts may not be a regular feature in our newsletter while I am on sabbatical. At times, I will be traveling. Other times, I will be “BE-ing.” I will write and post as I am inspired.
I look forward to reconnecting when I return.

Joyous Blessings to you!