Yesterday, after the morning at church, and a couple of hours with a friend having a very large cup of coffee, I spent about four hours lying on my sofa. I read a magazine I had been wanting to get to; I flipped through my new 75th Anniversary edition of The Joy of Cooking; I made a few thank you notes out of colored card stock and rubber stamps; and I ate three broken chocolate chip cookies. I had the TV on, and would occasionally pay attention to it, and once or twice I dozed off to sleep. Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I felt like I had rested.
Yet there still was a nagging thought: is this what Sabbath is like in the 21st century?
Over the past several months, I have read numerous books, articles, and blogs all promoting the idea of Sabbath. I even wrote about it briefly in one of my Advent meditations on my website back in December. I am increasingly drawn to the rhythm of six days of work and the expectation of a day of rest. But I continue to wonder how to really make Sabbath observance a spiritual discipline in my life.
Here’s where I always fall short:
1.) Because I need a lot of time alone to feel rejuvenated, the siren call of Sundays is to hunker down under a blanket by myself for hours. Yet I know that Sabbath is also about community.
2.) Which brings up another point. As a single person, how do I spend time resting with others? No one else lives at my house. Going out to eat means doing things like every other day; having a group of people over is just plain work.
3.) I have been leaving my computer off for Sundays, but I have a hard time not turning on the television. Yet, even though I can turn my mind off in front of the TV for some mental R&R, I’m not sure spending hours watching the thing is really the rest I need.
4.) Most of all, how can I maintain my focus on the Lord while I’m transforming into a sloth?
5.) And really practically, should I start my Sabbath on Saturday evening or Sunday morning? And if getting up early for my 8 a.m. Sunday School class doesn’t feel very restful, does it mean I should give it up?
Many of the books I’ve read about Sabbath broach these subjects, but never to the level that helps me overcome them. I was wondering if any of you have Sabbath rituals that draw you into a day of rest. Do share.
Thanks for so many good comments. This really is an area I’m working on.
Mark — I should clarify what I meant by “having a group of people over is just plain work.” This is not work I don’t enjoy, but work nonetheless. If Sabbath is supposed to be different . . ??? Perhaps it’s in the planning that I err. More preparation and work on Saturday would allow me to be a rested, gracious hostess.
Erin, your comment about sharing the work of hospitality is good too. I really like the words WORSHIP, REST, RECHARGE.
Laura – I also think in terms of “different” or “set apart” as an important element of sabbath.
Craver — as you take steps in this area, keep me posted. I have lots of room to improve also.
Ted — You’re right; the writer of Hebrews says, “anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work.
Hi Charity, I like your thoughts here. I don’t think we set ourselves up well for Sunday morning gathering, by dragging ourselves out of bed after another late Saturday night.
I like the sense of rhythm. Six days work, seventh day rest. Sunday can be my busiest day, many times. So I try to rest in it as much as possible. But I think this attitude needs to carry over into all our days, and work. This attitude of Sabbath, and rest. Rest in God, of course. And rest in his good work, making what we do matter.
So many good thoughts you raise here, Charity. Thanks.
Nothing profound from me. Mrs. Craver doesn’t cook on Sunday, but have I led my home to honor the sabbath? Probably not. I have a lot of room for improvement.
I’m with Mark. Avoiding the blog is part of my Sabbath!
On this note, I see Sabbath as a respite from my usual way of functioning. That can be different things at different times, but it almost always involves an element of rest.
I, too, get sucked into a Sabbath-stealing way of life. Long live the American way, right?
I tend to think of the Sabbath as more of a state of heart/mind rather than a day on the calendar.
To me, the Sabbath is about getting as close to the Eden experience as possible. Fellowship with God, nature, and other humans; abstaining from work; reflecting on the work of my hands and the work of God.
Does it have to be on a Sunday -or a Saturday starting precisely at sundown?
I think that we lean a little in the Pharisee direction if we try to make our Sabbath fit into a nice, neat little box.
(Of course, our American productivity likes to ditch the Sabbath idea altogther. So perhaps committing a certain day toward observing the Sabbath will develop within us a commitmment to the Sabbath concept.)
Our family likes to spend time in nature, weather permitting. We play in the yard, go to the park, work (oops! Yeah, we WORK) in the garden, ride bikes, etc.
We also play board games or cook together.
I like to nap. And read a book for pleasure. Things like that.
I guess I think of it as anything that promotes WORSHIP, gives my spirit REST, and RECHARGES me for the work ahead.
Could you gather a group of friends together for an outing where no one has the burden of hosting yet you’re all together for fellowship? Picnic, hiking, a museum trip… something like that? Or even a potluck and game day at someone’s home. One person cleans, all the others cook! Works for me.
Wonderful thoughts, Charity. Reading this post, I realized how I still think of rest as simply the opposite of work.
So what does it mean to rest?
You said, “Having a group of people over is just plain work.” I know what you mean, but I also wonder if that counts as work. It’s a gift to the people, right? But maybe I’m more Martha than Mary.
You asked for specific Sabbath rituals. My family has Sunday Movie night. It isn’t just boob tube time. We do it up right. This Sunday we watched Curious George. We ate homemade pizza at the coffee table, and I held my son pretty much the entire movie. It was good.
Between quiet time and movie time, we play and play and play. I try my best not to work or check email or (gasp!) blog.