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This fall and winter our Bible Study group chose to study "The Rest of God" by Mark Buchanan, a study on the Sabbath. In a collection of very busy people (as likely most of you are) - professionals with demanding jobs, new parents, and all balancing work, life, family, and volunteering - the prospect of finding time to fit a whole day of rest in to a week seemed daunting, to say the least. Surely God knows we're too busy to fulfill this commandment? We have things to do!

I think we all have similar sentiments. How often do you ask someone how they're doing, to have a response of "Oh, pretty good, busy!"? How often is that your response?

Sabbath seems so completely alien to our modern sensibilities. The prospect of taking an entire day - 1/7th of a week! - to rest from work is laughable. Everything in our society pushes us to work as hard as possible to secure a life for ourselves and our families and to get through an ever-lengthening to-do list - anything else is laziness. No wonder we have such a difficult time trying to follow God's very clear and wonderful desire to bless us through Sabbath.

Indeed, we found that our initial attempts to try and embrace Sabbath took a bit of effort. Chores were moved up on the schedule; weekday evenings became a bit more busy; Saturdays were harried with errands. Sabbath was initially a lost time of our minds on other things and not knowing what to do with ourselves.

We also struggled with determining what was and what wasn't appropriate to do or not do on Sabbath. Our book offered a compelling golden rule to think on; cease from that which is necessary, and embrace that which gives life. This rough outline has informed our choices. We initially fretted about whether to do grocery shopping on our Sabbath, for example, but decided that since it's something we both enjoy and get life from - planning meals, enjoying the fresh produce, trying out something new - chose to keep it.

These practices, while initially hard, we've found to have given us life. We feel rested as the week begins. We have a break to anticipate and look forward to. We're able to enjoy ourselves, our hobbies, and God, unburdened by work or commitments.

In my spiritual life, I've always struggled to keep myself to any kind of spiritual habit. My study of the Bible is far from disciplined; my prayer life is often hurried; my worship is often perfunctory. But in Sabbath, I have begun to find a holy rhythm that echoes throughout the week. It's a rest, a respite to look forward to, as well as a fond memory to recall.

The beauty of Sabbath, we find, is that it's not a duty or a command; it's a gift, a pure measure of undeserved love from our Father. When we can remember to forget about the pressing issues of the coming work week, we find ourselves placing trust in His power. When we take time on this day of rest to feast, or play, or reflect on God's goodness, it's a tangible measure of the good gifts He has given us. It's a reminder of the eternal. When we celebrate Sabbath, we allow a little bit of heaven to invade us here on Earth. And what could be sweeter than that?


Andrew and Sarah Metcalfe have been attending NSAC for 4 years and now look forward to Sabbath every week (which usually includes time with friends and hobbies, a walk, and a really good cup of coffee).