For the past couple of months I have been trying to faithfully keep Sabbath. Every Sunday evening I light a candle, turn off the computer, and begin a day of remembering God's day of rest. While I know that the Sabbath is properly from Friday evening to Saturday evening, I observe from Sunday evening to Monday evening, and I have tried to stay clear and mindful about how I spend that time. That is, until this week.
One of the things that I do every Sunday is call my mom. I am, after all, a good Southern reared girl with a deep sense of family. I touch base with my sister and my mom. When I was growing up I remember my parents calling their parents on Sunday. It is a Sunday ritual in my life. Sunday when I picked up the phone to call my mom I saw that I had an email. For, you see, I have a Blackberry, which is a completely evil tool. I couldn't resist checking the message. It was a reply to an email that I had send previously in the day. And it was an upsetting email. For the past day I have been unable to stop thinking about it, about work, and about my shortcomings at work. In checking that email I tossed this week's Sabbath time right into the crapper.
I have really enjoyed the past couple of months Sabbaths. After demarcating Sabbath time from the rest of the week by lighting a candle and saying a prayer, I read fun books - nothing about work. I sit on my deck, listen to the trees rustle in the breeze, make dinner and eat with family, sleep well, and spend time with friends. I turn off the computer, leave work stuff alone, and don't spend money. It's true that I have struggled to find a rhythm and a set of rituals that feel authentic and right. Being a Christian doesn't bring with it easy to use observance related activities! I enjoy the celebration of the Lord's Day, but I also have been craving that sense of relief that I have discovered in observing Sabbath.
Today was a disappointment. My actions were a disappointment. Why didn't I just leave the email alone? My refusal to do so underscores how far I have to go in remembering that my work is not the most important work; God's work is. The world will wait one day for me to check email. And perhaps if I can learn this lesson then I can get back to observing "Sabbath" and not "Crappath."
finding delight * seeking justice * valuing mercy * extending invitation * making peace * upsetting applecarts * building community * tending creation * digging deeper * contemplating the divine
4 comments:
You have an interesting blog. I wholeheartedly believe in the Sabbath of the Bible and believe we should trust how God laid it out for us and not try to add or subtract from it. I think you're on the right track. I found that once we get rid of all the "stuff" that our lives consist of on the other 6 days of the week, we are left with nothing but our Creator on the seventh day, which is the way He intended it. Remember, the seventh day is the ONLY day that was made "holy" and "sanctified". Check out www.sabbathtruth.com. Let me know what you think: flext20@yahoo.com
I've just discovered your blog, and I'll be back. I'll be back, if for no other reason, because you described a small congregation as vibrant.
Brandon,
Thanks for the referral. I'll take a look.
Questing Parson,
Some days are more vibrant than others, but I do have a deep desire to learn more about whether there is still a place in our society for small, vibrant, local neighborhood churches. Part of me thinks so, but is that part of me simply nostalgic, hanging on to remnants of the past or is it keying in to a longing that other people my age and younger have for a place of stability, home, welcome in lives increasingly described as nomadic, overly scheduled, hectic, and disconnected?
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