Keeping Sabbath

I’ve failed miserably to keep the fourth commandment. It’s the one about remembering and observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy. If it made it to the Ten Commandments, it’s not a suggestion. It’s not a guideline. It’s important. It's the fulcrum for all ten commandments. The first three deal with our relationship to God. The last six deal with our relationship with others. The fourth commandment pivots between loving God and loving our neighbor. It shouldn’t be ignored.

And really, in the kind of “always on, 24/7” culture we breathe, the idea of resting, worshiping and being together with others for a day, should be received as the gift it is. But, it’s hard to keep this commandment, especially when one is a pastor. People have emergencies, they die, and the world keeps a different schedule than pastors do (I mean, Sunday’s a pretty major workday for pastors!).  

However, Sabbath is important. I’m feeling a bit wrung out these days – a sign I’ve missed my Sabbath too frequently recently. So, how do we keep this commandment?

We can start by remembering what Jesus said about it. “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NRSV). We are not called to be obsessive compulsive perfectionists. Jesus said this in the context of followers gleaning grain on the Sabbath. You must eat. God gave us this commandment to help us out, to give us some rest, to enjoy spending time with Him and fellowshipping with others (that fulcrum again).

We also can acknowledge that there are times when our responsibilities will require us to work through our Sabbath. For example, the church year has peaks and valleys in terms of workloads. Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, bring heavy workloads for church staff and pastors. Other times can be a bit lighter. We learn to lean into those lighter times. There will always be funerals, weddings, and other emergencies, but we try to figure out how to make the best of the “peaks and valleys.”

And, as I’ve advised others, Sabbath can occur in blocks of time – not just days of time. I tend to think of days in thirds: mornings, afternoons, and evenings, probably because I often have meetings and other demands during all three periods. If I find myself with one or more of those blocks free, I might take it as a Sabbath period – especially if I’ve had a long period of extended work. When done deliberately, a full afternoon free can be refreshing and renewing.

“And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation” (Gen. 2:2-3, NRSV). Sabbath was instituted by God, and is God’s gift to us. Remember to take Sabbath.