What’s Your Sabbath?

February 28, 2010 – 10:53 pm

Friend and co-worker and sometimes preacher Kelly Clark talked about the fourth commandment at our TXT3 worship service tonight, and since you’ve read the title, you can probably recall what that commandment commands, but, if you’re still not with us, here it is, from the source (Exodus 20:8):

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

We used a few videos that get to the heart of this rather strange command:

Yeah, it’s that simple, but actually making it a part of your life? I still don’t know what it means for me. I’ve “worked” on Sundays for a long time now, but the Sabbath doesn’t have to be a Sunday. I’ve tried (um, not really) to make Fridays a Sabbath, a day of rest, but I still get lost “going my own way” (see Isaiah 58:13-14), resting, but not exactly making it a day of spiritual rest and renewal. But at least now I’m thinking about doing so.

Kelly gave a few suggestions on the reality of remembering the Sabbath: if your job requires constant mental focus, go do something active; if your work is physically demanding, do something for your mind. If you’re always logged on (and I don’t think he was pointing at me when he said this), then log off for a day. Disconnect. The internets will still exist tomorrow.

But really, it’s different for everyone. So I have two questions for you.

Do you consciously observe a “Sabbath?”
If so, how does that look in your life?

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  • http://prettysmartblog.wordpress.com/ katie

    I can’t say that in the past year I’ve been particularly good at keeping a Sabbath, but it’s something I’ve actually been thinking a lot about in the midst of this move.

    My pastor talks a lot about his need to be outside and how it’s essential for his mental and spiritual health to take time out to get away from everything and just be alone with God outside. I’ve come to really respect his commitment to it and it’s something I can really relate to, I feel the same way about being outside.

    Before I started working full-time, I went out to walk everyday with my Dad (sometimes alone, but mostly with him). We’d walk for an hour, maybe two sometimes and I can honestly say that in those times I experienced more spiritual and mental rest than I have doing anything else.

    Now that I’m having to adjust my routine for completely new surroundings, I want to get back into that habit and adopt that time outside, whether with someone or not, as my Sabbath.