What is Sabbath anyway?

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I must admit, until a couple of years ago, I was extremely cynical about the Sabbath, and any form of practice of it.  I thought of it as an antiquated practice of religion, rather than trying to figure out why the Lord commanded his people to do it in the first place.  But the Christian practice of Sabbath was never really explained to me, and as a minister (who works on Sunday) I just assumed that I wouldn’t be able to take Sabbath. 

And the thought of taking Saturday off seemed impossible with all the important stuff I had to do throughout the week.  (As arrogant of a statement as I have ever made…)

However, after hearing a sermon by Matt Chandler on the practice of the Sabbath, I was amazed by the implication that is made in the scripture.  The practice of the Sabbath is as much about work, as it is about relaxation.  Not that our practice of the Sabbath is as much work as the New Testament Pharisees made it out to be, but that we must prepare ourselves, or occupation, and our homes in advance if we are ever to hope to actually take rest. 

Exodus 20:8-11

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

As I read this passage, I am primarily interested in verse 9.  The command is not simply that we cant work on Sabbath, but instead, that in 6 days, we must complete all of our work.  If we are to take this passage literally, we must prepare the Sabbath, by working diligently for 6 days so that we have completed all the work that must be done.  Once that is done, we have the freedom to take the Sabbath with our family, without worrying about our job. 

It seems simple, and a little bit naïve that we can actually do this, but before you try to talk yourself out of taking Sabbath, answer this question first. 

Have you ever, worked 6 days straight, to make room for rest?

If not, maybe you should try…

For more by Jeremy A. Walker, check out www.jeremyawalker.com 

Make Me Lie Down

Psalm 23:1

²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.

Sometimes, the last thing I want to do is stop moving.  When I think about the time that I spent without a pastor, it was a time that was packed full of work and worry; not that work and worry should have been a part of that time, I made it that way.  At a certain point, the toll that overworking takes on a body, mind, and spirit can’t be overcome by another vacation.  I needed real rest.  Real rest is found when you stop working for things that the Lord has already provided.  

The idea that the Lord makes us to lie down in green pastures is more than simply a nice turn of phrase.  The fact of the matter is, the Lord made the pasture, grew the grass, provided the water, and created the creatures that are blessed by it.  Because the Lord is our shepherd, we don’t simply wander around hoping to find enough to live on.  We know that the Lord is able to manifest what we need from nothing, because all that is created was created at his word.  We are safe, because he guards us, and his hand sustains us.  

As a minister, it is imperative that you begin to view the Lord as the fulfillment of all you need, the source of your strength, and the director of your path.  If you attempt to bare down and work hard enough to overcome your obstacles, you will fail in one critical area.  We must find our sustenance in the Lord, not in our own hands.  You will never be able to provide your needs.  The sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be able to find rest. 

TBH

To be honest, I’d almost forgotten about this blog since I’ve been working on Checklist Jesus for the past 2 years.  However, I think it’s important to complete this work, because the Lord has done such a good job completing it for me.  

When I began this project in 2009, I was aware of the fact that I needed to have an overall outline in mind so that I wouldn’t wander all over the place in my attempt to share this message.  The final “chapter” in this project is a section called, “Allow Yourself to be Healed.”  This was were the journey stopped for me as far as this blog goes, and now that I look back on it, it stopped there for a reason.  I was not ready to be healed, nor was I aware of how healing could even take place after such a difficult time at the church where I was serving.  

Today is a different story.

The Lord has shared great mercy, kindness, and patience with me over the past two years in ministry, and has chosen to deliver me from the bitterness and anger that I harbored.  The next few posts in this blog will be about how the Holy Spirit has brought me to a place of healing.  

I am reminded of Psalm 23, and how the promise of protection and healing is nothing new for the God we serve

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.