Sabbath is Death

Sabbath is Death



Busyness.  The American mantra, "I'm busy."  Basically it means, "I'm stressed."  Or, "I'm worried." Or, "I'm depressed."

It means I don't know how to say "No."

     Which means I don't know how to prioritize.
     Which means I don't know what's truly important.

I don't know what's truly important so I'll make my life busy so that I feel important (work 50-70 hours per week, schedule back to back meetings, etc.).

We feel busy, because we are trying to get everything done this week when realistically we should give ourselves a month.  Or we are trying to accomplish everything in one month that should take six.  Or we are trying to accomplish in ten months what really take one year.

We are stressed because we don't know how to rest.  We don't know how to rest from work.  


To rest from work means to trust God.  We are busy and stressed because we don't trust God.  We lack faith.  Faith that God is God and we are not.  Faith that He continues to work even when we rest.  Faith that He holds our lives together, not us.  Faith that God doesn't need me to help Him run the world.  He does just fine without me.

Resting helps us stop and realize God is in control even when we stop trying to control things.


Sabbath is death.  A death to self.  We think we are so important so we busy ourselves which only leads to stress.  Sabbath forces you to stop and find that the world goes on just fine without you.

We don't like this.

Sabbath is death.  When we rest, we realize that I'm not the center of my universe.  That my family is not everything.  That, certainly, my job is not everything.

Sabbath make us - prophetically - step out of "busy" and realize that God is everything.  He's the center of my universe.  If He's removed, I will fall apart.

He must increase.  I must decrease.

Sabbath is dying.  Part of you stays at church after you leave.  A dead part.  A stressed part.  A worried part.  An unbelieving part.  Leave all that junk in the pew.

"I just took 2 hours out of my buys life and my life didn't spontaneously combust...I wonder if someone else is in control?"


Sabbath is you coming alive - the real you.  A resurrection.  A new life.  The old part is gone.  Behold, new creation.

Faith.
Patience.
Steadfastness.
A newer, slower self; trusting in God.
A newer, de-stressed, de-cluttered, non-depressed self.
A newer, joyful self.  One who knows God is in control and therefore has nothing to worry about.

Sabbath is a weekly rhythm of death and resurrection.  Sabbath is a weekly connection with Christ and with the others who identify with His death and resurrection.

A prophetic people who do the radical thing and seize working for a moment.  We step out of the American "busyness" in which we live and say, "I see your ways, but I'll raise you.  I believe there is a better way.  It's called the Kingdom of God.  Oh, and by the way, you're invited."

Oh, and by the way, you're invited.















Van Gogh, Noon - Rest from Work (after Millet)

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