Genesis 1:31

Then God looked over all he had made and saw that it was very good!

God did the work of creation for 6 days, then he rested on this 7th day. This day was called the Sabbath day of rest, a holy day of dedication to the Lord. Keeping the Sabbath was so vital to Hebrew culture that God wrote it in stone. You had better follow the rule on pain of death.

For many, work is a job which brings little satisfaction. We work to pine for the weekend. For some work is an escape, or gives us earning power to buy things, and we might think more is better. Work for some is a healthy endeavor, satisfying creative work that channels our life-energies into useful and helpful contributions to the human community. We should all be so lucky. If you've created something, say a flower bed, a landscape project, a painting, or a sewing project you've felt certain satisfaction.

The Sabbath is a place of reflection, is there anything of beauty, any satisfaction and contentment in your life? You won’t know it if your sense of duty keeps you from seeing it. Are there things of mystery, things too wondrous for words, or blessings in your life? You won’t know them unless you see them. There are threats to reflection and quiet places both from within and from external pressures. Keeping Sabbath is not so much in the mechanics of it as it is creating a space in my “house” for God to attend to the needs of my soul.

George MacDonald called this an embrace of “holy idleness”, not merely a cessation of work. Why is the Sabbath so important? Really? It realigns us with things that are true, that are eternal and life giving! The Sabbath is a reset, a reboot and a realignment to Truth!

I think this is a call to live closer to the heart of God.

It is a reminder to live “higher” and be freed from our compulsion toward lesser pleasures.

Imagine if Sabbath was a place to re-evaluate our life together and a way to discern the divine presence among us.

The Sabbath rest can open the door for us to hear the words we so need, “You are my Beloved”.

It interrupts a drive towards unhealthy perfection, that’s God's job!

A day of dedication is making it official and intentional. Our tendency would probably be to procrastinate, or to just get one more shovel in the ground, nail one more fence board, mark one more paper! Take a break my friends, it seems rather important, your life may depend on it!