Pilmoor Memorial United Methodist Church

After a particularly exasperating day recently, I sent the following to the micro-blogging site, “Twitter”:  “Have you ever gotten to the end of your day, looked down at your to-do list, and the only thing ticked off is you?”  I can’t claim that it’s original, though I’m not sure where I heard it the first time.  But it is so true. 

It seems that every year at the beginning of Lent, I am challenged to reflect on what is, for me, the most elusive of the 10 commandments.  I’m not talking about murder, theft, idol worship or even covetousness.  I’m referring to #4, right between not taking the Lord’s Name in vain and honoring our parents:  “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.” 

It’s easy to reduce Sabbath keeping to the status of a spiritual discipline, like prayer, fasting or Bible study.  But its not a spiritual discipline...it is a commandment.  What’s the difference?  Spiritual disciplines are good for us, they help shape us, they help draw us closer to God and to understand God.  The commandments, on the other hand, DEFINE us.  Sabbath was a gift of a day of rest for a people who had been slaves in Egypt—slaves were afforded no such luxury.  Sabbath was a reminder that God rested and enjoyed the fruit of his creation on the seventh day.  Sabbath was a reminder that the world continues with or without our labor.  Sabbath is a challenge to the idolatry that we allow to grow up around ourselves—around our work.

My experiences around Sabbath have been varied.  Personal efforts to be observant have met with mixed success.  Watching observant Jews prepare for Sabbath has been instructive.  Members of the household will work frantically to get all the housework done, all the necessary cooking done, to-do lists completed, everything out of the way so that when Sabbath comes, they can cease.

“But what about when the to-do list isn’t completed?”  Work, papers, to-do lists are left undone.  In so far as possible, they are put out of sight, in drawers or boxes or closed rooms.  And in their absence, God reminds us that we are not slaves and that our obedience to him is more significant than our career or even the money that comes from our productivity.  The to-do list never ends.  But be obedient to God during this Lent.  One full day a week, put it in a drawer and enjoy the gift of rest. 

—Scott

This entry was posted on March 06 2009 and is filed under . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.