Rita Martin is one of the saints of our church, and she and the adult library committee recently gifted me the book "Sabbath" by Dan Allender. As I've started to read it, I've realized how little I know about what it means to practice Sabbath. Growing up, I always thought of Sabbath as Sunday -- the day when we'd go to church and argue about where to eat lunch, after which dad would fall asleep on the couch. In my adult life, I'm just now starting to recover the true meaning of Sabbath, which has nothing to do with the aforementioned activities.
As I read Allender's book, I will blog about those ideas that grab my attention and shine light on the intended purpose of the Sabbath.
So, a first insight -- did you know that remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy is the fourth commandment (of the big ten that is)? We don't practice Sabbath because it is good for us -- we practice it because it is a commandment. It is as wrong to neglect this practice as it is to steal, lie, kill or have an affair. So why don't we take it seriously?
Maybe the problem is that those who take the Sabbath seriously make it so legalistic that the day is no longer holy. If we make the Sabbath all about rules and regulations, things we can and can't do on that day, then we take all the joy out of it. Because, Allender writes, Sabbath isn't only a commandment, but it is also intended to be a day of delight . . . more on that next time.
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