Sabbath

And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. (Genesis 2:3)

An admirer once asked the great pianist Vladimir Horowitz how he could play so

beautifully. He answered, ‘The notes – anyone can play the notes. But the pause

between the notes, that is where the music lies.’ What Horowitz said about music is also

true about our lives. It is in the pauses – the rests, the spaces in between – that meaning

is made and that holiness is felt.

This idea feels so counterintuitive today. We are always doing, always moving, always

on call. We are too busy to sit together to share a meal, so we grab fast food instead.

Last year, Americans spent over $330 Billion on fast food. But that’s not the way God

created us. It’s not the way God created the world. God worked, then rested. God

created, then paused.

The first Sabbath was not only the completion of creation but also the culmination of

creation. Thus, our Sabbath is the day when we can marvel at the beauty of the world

God created. It is the day we enjoy what the ancient sages called ‘a taste of heaven.’ It

is a day when we stop thinking about the what of life and remind ourselves of the why

and who of life.

I confess that I am addicted to being busy. Even when I’m at home, I’m usually sitting

with my computer working on some report or searching for articles that help me be a

better pastor. It is hard for me to stop thinking about the what of life and just be still

and remind myself of the why of life and more importantly the who of life.

At the end of the month, Heather and I are planning to take a few days away to celebrate

our anniversary. But more than a celebration, it will be a time to reconnect with one

another and with God. We plan to rest; do a little sightseeing; enjoy a good meal or

two. More importantly we hope to draw closer to God and allow him to renew or spirits.

For those who struggle to keep the Sabbath, it helps to start small. We don’t have to

follow the ancient Jewish practice of refraining from all work for a full 24 hours. We don’t

need to disconnect completely from the world. We can sit quietly for a while. We can go

for a walk with our spouse or a friend. We can call a friend we haven’t spoken to in a

while. We can take a nap in a comfy chair on the back porch.

The point of the Sabbath is not only to rest our bodies, but also to sanctify them. It is

to lift us out of the physical realm and glimpse the beauty of the spiritual life. It is the

place, as one rabbi out it, where heaven and earth meet.

And God invites us to visit that place every week.

Every Sunday we gather is a time of rest for our souls, renewal for our hearts, and

preparation for what God has in store for the coming week. I hope you will take time

this Sunday to join us as we experience Sabbath together.

Pastor Marty