Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Exodus 20:8
A few weeks ago, I posted on the topic of sabbath-keeping. I mentioned that Kevin and I were planning to attend a conference on the subject. This past Thursday we attended the conference, which was hosted by Blessed Earth.
Founder and author, Dr. Matthew Sleeth, and his wife Nancy, led much of the program. The Sleeths practice sabbath-keeping in their own lives and are working to train pastors, lay leaders, and others about restoring this practice, which is rarely observed in today's world.
Again, Kevin and I have made some attempts to take intentional time to turn off from work and other distractions. This conference was both helpful and encouraging as we continue to figure out what sabbath-keeping looks like for us. A couple of things we'll be keeping in mind:
1) Start slow. We have been so conditioned to be accessible for work 24/7 and to always be accomplishing something, that it will take some time to re-condition ourselves to just do nothing.
2) The sabbath doesn't have to happen on Sunday. While Sunday tends to be the day Christians consider to be the sabbath, this is a difficult concept for those of us who work in the church or in other jobs that require Sundays to be work days.
3) Plan ahead. What do we need to do before the sabbath so that we can do nothing on that day? That means running the errands, doing the housework and the cooking, and finishing up work or school work.
4) Having more stuff means more to keep up with. I asked the Sleeths about the tie between consumerism and our inability to keep the sabbath. There are so many connections on so many levels. The more stuff we have the more stuff we need to maintain. The more stuff we have the more that distracts us. The more stuff we have (or think we need to have) the more we have to work for the money to buy it (and to pay off debt because of it). Though many keep sabbath on a day that isn't Sunday, many will also refrain from shopping or eating out on Sundays. Our consumerism also drives the need for stores and restaurants to remain open (for increasingly longer hours) on the traditional Christian sabbath of Sunday. This means that a great number of people in the workforce may not have the opportunity to have a sabbath.
As Kevin and I continue this year of reduced spending, I continue to be amazed by how much stuff we have in our house and how little I really need to buy. I am learning to disconnect from the desire to have for the sake of having and for the need to buy just because something is on sale. The time that Kevin and I get to spend together and with friends and family is so much more important than anything we could possible buy. That is so much of what keeping the sabbath is about. It's not just about stopping work, it's about reconnecting with each other and with God, so that we can be refreshed by the Holy Spirit, that we might do the work that God would have us to do to the best of our abilities. We aren't meant to work ourselves to death and to burn the candle at both ends all the time. God gives us the sabbath as a gift--a gift we too often refuse to open.
A few weeks ago, I posted on the topic of sabbath-keeping. I mentioned that Kevin and I were planning to attend a conference on the subject. This past Thursday we attended the conference, which was hosted by Blessed Earth.
Founder and author, Dr. Matthew Sleeth, and his wife Nancy, led much of the program. The Sleeths practice sabbath-keeping in their own lives and are working to train pastors, lay leaders, and others about restoring this practice, which is rarely observed in today's world.
Again, Kevin and I have made some attempts to take intentional time to turn off from work and other distractions. This conference was both helpful and encouraging as we continue to figure out what sabbath-keeping looks like for us. A couple of things we'll be keeping in mind:
1) Start slow. We have been so conditioned to be accessible for work 24/7 and to always be accomplishing something, that it will take some time to re-condition ourselves to just do nothing.
2) The sabbath doesn't have to happen on Sunday. While Sunday tends to be the day Christians consider to be the sabbath, this is a difficult concept for those of us who work in the church or in other jobs that require Sundays to be work days.
3) Plan ahead. What do we need to do before the sabbath so that we can do nothing on that day? That means running the errands, doing the housework and the cooking, and finishing up work or school work.
4) Having more stuff means more to keep up with. I asked the Sleeths about the tie between consumerism and our inability to keep the sabbath. There are so many connections on so many levels. The more stuff we have the more stuff we need to maintain. The more stuff we have the more that distracts us. The more stuff we have (or think we need to have) the more we have to work for the money to buy it (and to pay off debt because of it). Though many keep sabbath on a day that isn't Sunday, many will also refrain from shopping or eating out on Sundays. Our consumerism also drives the need for stores and restaurants to remain open (for increasingly longer hours) on the traditional Christian sabbath of Sunday. This means that a great number of people in the workforce may not have the opportunity to have a sabbath.
As Kevin and I continue this year of reduced spending, I continue to be amazed by how much stuff we have in our house and how little I really need to buy. I am learning to disconnect from the desire to have for the sake of having and for the need to buy just because something is on sale. The time that Kevin and I get to spend together and with friends and family is so much more important than anything we could possible buy. That is so much of what keeping the sabbath is about. It's not just about stopping work, it's about reconnecting with each other and with God, so that we can be refreshed by the Holy Spirit, that we might do the work that God would have us to do to the best of our abilities. We aren't meant to work ourselves to death and to burn the candle at both ends all the time. God gives us the sabbath as a gift--a gift we too often refuse to open.