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 I was recently given a book that I am beginning to think would be helpful to chronicle as a resource, to reflect upon quotes and to wrestle with questions that may help us (me) in our practice of Sabbath. Could turn into a series of posts - no promises.
A couple quotes from the Introduction that have caused me pause already.
"Preparation for the Sabbath is as important as the day itself."
"The other six days of the week are a pilgrimage to the Sabbath."
So many times the Sabbath (if we even have a day that we have set apart as Sabbath) sneaks up on us or the quality of our Sabbath time is infringed upon by the normal practices of everyday life. While I think some traditional practices of Sabbath can take things to far, what really does differentiate this day from others? I hear of stories of people who weren't allowed to play games or soccer on Sundays growing up. In one sense this may be missing the heart of the sabbath but on the other it is an attempt to set apart a day as other. Do we plan for our Sabbath? Do we look ahead and take care of details so the Sabbath can be meaningful? I hope to discover what some of those practices could be as I journey through this book.
The Sabbath is not disconnected from the other days of the week. It is a reality that there are demands on us as we journey throughout the week: work, housekeeping, parenting, chores, friendships, teams, activities, school... but put another way, "The world has our hands, but someone else has our souls. Healthy sabbath practices acknowledge that we need to work and raise our families with due effort and sacrifice, but if we sacrifice the health of our souls we are in some danger. I like the imagery of the week as a pilgrimage and not just something to bear and get through. The Sabbath, instead of being a day to be exhausted or to escape the hardships of the week, has the potential to be than a day of celebration and resurrection. Yes, the resurrection and renewal of our souls each week.
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There are times in my prayer life when the practice becomes routine, predictable and frankly boring. I have often turned to prayer books when I feel like this for new language, new approaches and fresh expressions of prayer.
