Practicing Sabbath for a Lifetime Exodus 20; Mark 2:27
God’s Love
RULE OF LIFE
PRAYER Sabbath Daily Offices Gathering at Church Retreats
Sabbath – a 24 hour period set apart to receive the love of God through Stopping Resting Delighting Contemplating
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Sabbath Thursday Friday Saturday
Sabbath in the Bible Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God… For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable….then you will find joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land. Isaiah 58:13-14
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. Mark 1:21 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Mark3:4-5
As I reflect on last weekend, and our first feeble attempt at Sabbath, I can’t help but focus on the things my husband and I didn’t do. And each thing we didn’t do feels like a wrong answer on a Sabbath quiz. --We didn’t light a candle—deduct five points. --We didn’t go to bed early—subtract ten points. --We didn’t go to church—automatic fail. Aabye
I am going to do my best to prepare in advance and get some things done before the sun sets Friday. When it finally does arrive I will light my candle and declare a cease-fire. I will throw on my prayer shawl and commit the next twenty-four hours to stopping. May God give me the grace to accept things just as they are and not fret about what did or didn’t get done. -Idilio
We decided to prepare all week for this special time. My boyfriend described it as “preparing for a party”…getting things done so that we could enjoy the “big event.” -Jen
Practicing Sabbath for a Lifetime Final Reminders: 1.We “Get To Keep Sabbath.” 2.Perfectionism/Legalism Kills Sabbath. 3. Sabbath Rewires us to Pay Attention. 4.Slowing Down for Sabbath Leads to Loving Well.
Our Sabbath time has personally allowed me to draw closer to God. It has become very purposeful and meaningful to me. I only wonder ‘why didn’t I do this sooner’--Jen
How is God coming to you through these Sabbath learnings? What might be His next step for you?