Sabbath Today

Sabbath Today God on Monday
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Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work
(Exodus 20.8-9)

Reflection

The wisest, most peaceful, and least self-centred people I know honour the Sabbath command like their lives depend on it. Some groups observe it by way of tradition, social reinforcement, and communal cohesion. They include, for example, certain Orthodox Jewish, Anabaptist, and Reformed communities. Others have discovered the rewards of keeping the Sabbath for themselves, without any social pressure.

But Western individualism, which is enthralled with ‘saving’ time, has served to undermine many such substantive traditions. Today we feel compelled to keep up with the pace of change and to seek liberation in ever greater degrees of autonomy and self-expression.

Our souls, minds and bodies know better. They tell us something we do not want to hear – that we are not living human-scaled lives, and that the urge to respond to a multitude of external demands is driving us towards misery and burnout. A supposed ‘time famine’ (there cannot ever be such a thing) is leaving us feeling disempowered.

In standing up to all this, a recovery of the Sabbath – experienced in both solitude and community – could be the mischief required to return to the life we were made for. A life in which we walk at God’s pace, rather than at the speed of those around us.

Response

What would a return to the Sabbath look like for you, and for the communities of faith you belong to? Suppose our churches thought more about the quandary of work and rest in today’s world, and about how to dig deep into its own ancient wisdom around time. Could we then see and experience the spiritual renewal we crave?

Prayer

Lord, help us to move in step with you in these days of hustle and bustle. Give us the wisdom to know how we should use your gift of the Sabbath in our fast-paced culture. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This Week's Author

Anne Snyder, Editor-in-Chief, Comment magazine.

God on Monday is produced in partnership with the Church of England. The reflections are based on the scriptural readings designated for the next Sunday in the Church's lectionary. You can sign up to Faith in Business here to receive each God on Monday instalment.

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