Sabbath

Lionfish asked over the weekend what I do with my weekly Sabbath, so here goes with the promised post!

My Sabbath activities (or lack of them) are deeply rooted in what I believe about the Sabbath and the 10 commandments, but that's fodder for an entirely different post. A quick "summary" though is that I believe those 10 commandments to be relevent from creation until this planet ends (perhaps beyond), and as such they form the basis for my values and way of life - including keeping a weekly Sabbath, on the 7th day (Saturday), from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. For me, "keep it holy" means a focus shift from things of this world, the hassles of every-day existence, toward the God who cares for and rules it all. (Just as the other 9 matter - not killing, keeping marriage sacred, respect for God and His name, etc. - so does this one, in my opinion) Sabbath confirms/celebrates I am God-created and reminds me of the eternal rest to come.

So - on to what I actually do.

Friday night is a special "talk night" for my son and I. When the sun hits the horizon, the TV goes off, the candles go on, and we spend time together. We'll draw a bit, talk a bit, listen to some of our favourite music, discuss the week or stuff that's on our minds, and usually end up in bed around 10. Often I find myself exhausted after the week's exertions, so an earlier night is a good thing if we can manage it.

Sabbath morning is sleep-in time. When we still were regulars at church on a Sabbath, it involved getting up and getting dressed in our church clothes, then rushing off to church. But we're on a church break and learning curve, so have made Sabbath truly a day of rest - including bunking any church activities! :) (Even while attending and being involved in another church that met on Sunday, Sabbath was still a spritual day of rest for me - if you're involved in doing church, you'll know why you might need another day off for a Sabbath!)

However, having said that, we do spend some family God-time together - talking over something spiritual, or taking a nature walk to see what surprises He has in store for us, heading up the mountain with the dogs, or down to the beach to enjoy nature. I don't shop on the Sabbath (we get Friday afternoon off, so I do my shopping etc then), but I will haul out the cash if we need to pay to get into the nature reserve, or stop for something to drink on our "travels". Hey, I'm not COMPLETELY legalistic about what to do and what not to do! :) But I do try to avoid "doing my business" on the Sabbath - doing things that I could just as easily do on another day and that may make me lose my God-focus or rest experience.

I try to spend some time during the morning in solitude and silence (usaully the time when my son is in the bath). During the week I print out things to read, to challenge my thinking, to inspire, and this silent alone time is when I do so. If it's a good day, you'll find me out on my lawn in the sun - see last week's post on what happens when "church" goes overtime.... :) - if it's bad weather, I'm in a quiet place indoors.

Sabbath is also an opportunity to get together over an extended meal with family and friends. My nearest family is a half-hour's drive from here, and Sabbath gives us the time to make the effort to get together without other schedule pressures. I guess the Sabbath midday meal is somewhat like your traditional "Sunday lunch" with all the trimmings - we tend to bring out the special stuff, make food that is rather more fancy than what we'd do in the week etc. Generally over-eat too....

Sabbath afternoon is a great time for a nap, if we're not being sociable (and especially after aforementioned food!). After all, Sabbath is a "day of rest!". :) It's a time for my body to catch up with my soul and be refreshed.

Often my son and I will watch a nature or similar video - my mother has taped LOADS of cool stuff for us, like the BBC documentaries and some Aussie programmes, and every now and then I get an urge to worship in my lounge along with one of my Hillsong videos. If there's a nature programme on TV we might watch that too. But we do try to switch off the media completely and give our minds a break from bombardment for this one day a week.

Late afternoon, as the sun sinks toward the west, you might find us outside watching creation wind down toward night. We're nature nuts, both of us, and love looking for the little things around us. We'll close the Sabbath hours the same way we open them - with a short time in prayer.

I've been thinking along the lines of getting involved in community service on a Sabbath in the near future. Joining others in helping folk who need it, or cleaning up a stream or field, or hanging out at an old age home with some lonely ancients, or working on a community garden in the squatter camps (informal settlements). For now though, Sabbath is giving me space to get my inner life back on track, to re-find a passion for service and God so that I will be able to truly give with a whole heart later on.

I can't do without my weekly Sabbath. It's like taking a deep breath of fresh country air after months in the grime of a city. At the end of it my soul is refreshed, my body ready to tackle the stressors of the new week. I've learnt and made connections with God and others, I've found a new aspect in my ongoing spiritual journey, or I've just had time to stop and Be for a while.

It truly is a blessing!