“If you call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable…
then you will take delight in the LORD.” (from Isaiah 58:13-14)
Winter has quickly turned to spring and with the arrival of warm weather the pace of life seems to quicken. Everyone begins spring cleaning, washing windows, scrubbing floors, dragging heavy oriental rugs outdoors to be tossed over a metal bar and beaten with a stick to rid them of dust, then hosed down and scrubbed by hand. Vegetable and flower gardens have got to be tilled and planted and watered. Cars get washed. There is a lot of cleaning to do before Easter (celebrated April 27).
In the midst of the busyness, I'm learning to rest. This year I have realized that I need to slow down a bit, focus, breathe, and learn to run at a pace that will keep me healthy and sane. In late March I spent three days in a village outside Galati for a spiritual retreat, focusing on the theme Sabbath rest. I came away with a few simple truths that I'd like to share here.
From reading Scripture, I have come to understand that Sabbath is both a command and a gift. It's not meant to be a burden, but just the opposite. Another simple truth from Scripture is that the fruit of practicing Sabbath rest is joy (Isaiah 56:6-7, 58:14).
I was also challenged by insights from the book How Firm a Foundation: A Gift of Jewish Wisdom for Christians and Jews by Yechiel Echstein (pp 62-74). I learned that Sabbath is not the first day of the week or a day to get rested up in order to work more productively. This is a commonly held understanding of Sabbath(my own as well) and reflects our utilitarian society. According to Echstein, the rest of the week is actually a prologue leading up to the Sabbath, the last and most cherished day of the week.
Taking a day off from working, from using our creating abilities, also reminds us that we are not God of creation, only Yahweh is. Echstein writes,
…as a result of man's profound intelligence and creative abilities, he might come to forget the true Creator…By refraining from creative activities in the physical universe one day each week, man acknowledges God as the true Creator of all things…In ceasing from controlling nature he gives testimony that the world is ultimately not his to dominate, nor is nature his to manipulate. Rather, the earth is the Lord's.
I'm convinced that remembering a weekly Sabbath rest is extremely important, not just for my health, but as a visible sign that I am not ultimately my own, nor do all my activities dictate my destiny. God is the one in control, not me.
What do I actually do during a Sabbath day? This is something I am beginning to explore, understanding first of all that Sabbath is not for fasting and mourning, but rather a day for feasting, fellowship with family, song, ritual, and study of Scripture.
If you have any other insights about Sabbath please share them with me. I'm eager to learn more! rachel.simons@wordmadeflesh.com
Please pray for our community as we enjoy six days together in the mountains for a staff retreat, April 28 – May 3. And continue to pray for me and the youth I spend time teaching and mentoring each day(Alina, Claudia, Daniela, Moise, Mircea, Cristi, Bogdan, Dragos).
Peace,
Rachel