Remember the Sabbath
Week Three
July 26, 2009
For the past two weeks we have been
taking time to focus on the theme of "Remembering the Sabbath" a biblical
theme that encourages us to take time to rest, to relax, to be renewed. In
fact there are all sorts of "R" words that can also be associated with the
Sabbath; words like reflect, rejoice, recreate, reprioritize and reorganize,
all of which remind us of the wonderful gift of the Sabbath and the value
found in setting aside and setting apart time in the midst of our busy and
often chaotic lives.
In the spirit of setting apart I want to draw your attention to the three
readings, all of which we have an underlying theme of consecration; that is,
the act of making or declaring something to be sacred, or to devote something
to be holy or special.
In the readings from 1st Samuel and John's Gospel we have stories of women
who thought they had no possibility of bearing life, and yet God blesses them.
In 1st Samuel, Hannah, who had implored God for a son bears Samuel and in
thanksgiving and gratitude dedicates him to the service of God.
In the first chapter of Luke, angels appear to Zechariah announcing an utterly
unexpected birth to a faithful couple who had given hope of a child. In the
end Elizabeth gives birth to John who in time prepares the world for the coming
of the Messiah.
In both cases, out of thanksgiving, gratitude and faithfulness, a child
was consecrated, set apart for the glory of God.
In our reading from Romans, Paul declares that he has been set apart for
the proclamation of the gospel to the gentiles. But then he tells us that
he is not alone, he tells us that each of us, through the waters of baptism
have also been set apart, consecrated if you will, for lives of proclaiming
God's grace, mercy and forgiveness.
So what does all this have to do with the Sabbath you might ask? Well, think
back, what does Scripture say? In the book of Exodus it states: "Remember
the Sabbath day, to set it apart for holy purposes."
So what does all this mean? I believe it means that you and I have been
set apart, consecrated if you will. We have been blessed so that we might
be a blessing to others.
And God recognizes that though we might be blessed, being blessed can be
a lot of work, being blessed does not mean a cakewalk.
Just ask any of the 36,000 Lutheran youth participating in the synod journey
to New Orleans for the 2009 Youth Gathering and they will tell you that serving
and blessing the lives of others was at the core of this gathering.
Or, ask my friend Dave who has spent the past week walking across the state
of Minnesota in an effort to raise money and attention to the plight of homeless
youth in our state. If you were to ask him he would tell you that it was his
faith and that still small voice of God that sent him from the comfort of
his home to the back roads of our state walking so that he might be a blessing
to others.
When you know that you have been blessed, you rarely spend time loafing,
or doing nothing, you realize that you have been called to make a difference,
to share God's grace and reach out to your neighbor in need. And quite frankly,
that can be a lot of work, it can be exhausting, both physically and spiritually
and for that reason, God also blesses us with a day set apart, a holy day,
a consecrated day so we might rest and be renewed.
I suspect most of us understand resting on the Sabbath in a vague sort of
way. For some it might mean morning worship followed by dinner with family
and then perhaps what one person calls "unrepentant napping", all of which
is good, very good in fact.
But is there more? I believe there is and for that reason I want to flesh
out this notion out a little bit more, perhaps in order to offer some suggestions
as to how we might best benefit from this consecrated and holy day. And in
order to that I want to go back to the line up of "R" words.
And to start that line up let's begin with the words: Reverence, Ritual
and Resurrection. Going back to the days of the Old Testament, Saturday,
not Sunday, was the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath. In the early period
of Christian history both Saturday and Sunday were days of special significance.
Since most of the early Christians had once been Jews the keeping of the seventh
day as special was part of their being and tradition. One of the distinctive
marks of Jews all over the world was they believed that day to be "kadosh",
a term often translated into English as "holy", but which in its broadest
sense means "to treat as peculiar," or to set apart for sacred use." Or,
as we have heard, consecrated.
Sunday, however, came into prominence for the Christians because on that
day Jesus was raised from the dead. Because the resurrection of the Lord soon
became the center of their faith, the day on which it occurred became increasingly
the focal point for the church's celebration and preaching. The time came
when Sundays it finally displaced Saturday as the chief day in the life of
the Christian community.
Because Sunday, which some Christians began to make synonymous with the
Sabbath, had such tremendous significance, efforts were made to see to it
that it was treated with the reverence it deserved. How that "reverence"
was to be interrupted, and how it was to be shown, became matters of great
importance.
As many of you know, there was a time, not all that long ago when that spirit
of reverence manifested itself in our country in a series of "Blue Laws',
laws tht prevented businesses, stores and theaters from being open, sporting
events were curtailed, communities were by and large pretty quiet. By and
large these laws did more to restrict and regulate people's behavior, than
actually lift up opportunities for spiritual renewal.
For many, that which was given as a gift came across more like weekly-undeserved
punishment. Like many well-intentioned laws, these laws were noble in their
aim, but missed the target. No day is made special, set apart, made "holy"
and consecrated when it is made to be restrictive or unpleasant or boring,
by making it more like hell than heaven.
The truth is, people cannot be made to enjoy God by forbidding them to enjoy
anything else!
So, how might we do a better job of celebrating the Sabbath? Well, the fact
that you are here this morning for community worship is an indication that
you find value in giving thanks for the blessings you have received, for finding
renewal in your relationship with your Creator and Savior.
Gathering for corporate worship is but one way to celebrate the Sabbath,
and I say one way because, for as much as it pains me to say this, not all
worship takes place in a church on Sunday morning, and not all that takes
place in a church contributes to worship. As many people of faith will argue,
there are opportunities to privately give thanks and to bask in the beauty
of God's creation that cannot happen in a sanctuary.
I have lost track of the number of times I have heard people tell me about
their busy lives and sometimes Sunday morning is the only time to get away,
to be in their fishing boat, on the golf course, or in the tree stand or at
the cabin. I understand that and can fully appreciate that as I too, when
the opportunity presents itself, have enjoyed those solitary moments, moments
that can be worshipful.
And yet, as meaningful as such private worship experiences may be, it is
in worship with others that most of us find our faith encouraged, challenged,
and disciplined. Someone has pointed out that private worship is like singing
an aria in the shower; family worship is like the same selection sung together
around the piano; public worship is like singing that aria in a choir at a
concert. All enrich, all supplement, and all are needed.
So aside from worship how might we set this day apart from the other six
days of the week? In my readings and recent conversations I am reminded that
there are many who use Sunday afternoons to write letters and make phone calls
to loved ones and friends.
Others use the afternoon to visit parks, the beach; it is a time to go for
walks with friends, and family. Many have found the ritual of getting out
into the fresh air and stretching ones legs as a great way to commune with
nature in ways they are not able to do during the workweek.
One of the more interesting was to celebrate the Sabbath came from an author
who wrote about how his family begins the day by everyone in his family, his
wife and two children, gathering in the bedroom on the bed where they sit
in a circle, take some quiet time and pray everyone lifting up one thing they
are thankful for in the past week. Then they dedicate a certain amount of
money from everyone's allowance—usually a few dollars every week—to be given
away, and they discuss who they think could most benefit. The author suggested
that it seemed like his kids like this part the best, knowing someone in
the world will receive the blessing of their having sat together for a few
moments together on a Sunday morning in their pajamas! Having been blessed,
they set aside time, sacred time to celebrate their blessings and then pass
some of those blessings on to others. I'd be willing to bet that this would
make Jesus smile!
Let's move to another "R" word: Remember. In Exodus 20 we read the words:
"Remember the Sabbath …" In Hebrew the word is "Zakhor" (zachar). In its root
sense it means "to impress on the mind," or "to pierce the consciousness."
In both frames of reference it carries the sense of jabbing a fellow to wake
him up. In other words, this word Remember is intended to tweak our spiritual
noses, and wake us up to the fact that God is intimately invovled in our lives.
So in this sense, the Sabbath is not only intended to give us an opportunity
to rest, it also serves as a reminder that human beings have meaning in life
that goes beyond our labor. It reminds us that there is something more to
life than simply getting and keeping. By remembering we are also invited to
reflect.
To reflect on who you are, where you are in your relationship with yourself
and others.
It is a time set apart to remember God's blessings and how those blessings
have touched the lives of others. And of course, it is a time to reflect up
your relationship with your Lord and Savior.
By remembering the Sabbath we have sacred time to get our bearings and priorities
in order. It reminds us that we do not live in a vacuum, that we have been
created to live in community with others, that we are not intended to live
in isolation and self-centeredness.
The Sabbath offers that "jabbing of the mind" that helps us get our lives
back on track.
The Sabbath, with its time for worship and reflection, provides opportunities
to get together, and sometimes away, with the people who matter most to us.
The Sabbath provides us with some of the most poignant chances that we have
to make the disjointed pieces of our lives fall place.
There is a story, back from the days when the broadcasting industry was
still in it infancy: A letter was sent to the National Broadcasting Company
from a prospector in the hills of Montana. Written on a piece of brown bag
that had been folded into an envelope it contained an unusual request. "I
am a regular listener to your programs, and as a friend I want to ask you
for a favor. It gets lonely up here, and besides my radio and my dog I have
not much else for company. I do have a violin that I used to play, but now
it is badly out of tune. Would you please be kind enough at seven o'clock
next Sunday to strike me an "A" so I can put the fiddle back in tune?"
At first the people at the network thought the letter was too humorous for
words. At first reading all that it got was a chuckle as it was passed along.
When the manager thought about it for a while the request took on more perspective.
So the following Sunday night, at seven o'clock sharp, the network interrupted
its scheduled programming to sound an "A" and give a friend his pitch.
My life, and your life, has a way of getting out of tune and off pitch.
When it does, our existence looses a lot of its harmony. We need to have
someone sound us an "A" to help us get everything back into proper balance.
The Sabbath was made by God to give us the chance to listen for that pitch
that he alone can give to bring our whole being back into tune.
The Sabbath, that one day in seven that we are asked to "set apart for holy
purpose", is not meant to become a grim affair that we carry around like a
millstone. It is an opportunity to "remember", Zakhor. It is an opportunity
to remember how God has blessed us, claimed us, and intends to send us forth
into the world in order to bless the lives of others. It is an opportunity
to be renewed and rest so that we might be ready to serve and respond to God's
call.
Unlike the other six days of the week, God has blessed this day so that
we might find rest and renewal, which we might rejoice, that we might reorganize
and reprioritize. And that we might remember the one who ahs blessed us so
that we might be a blessing to others!
So, in the words of the psalmist (118:24) "This is the day which the Lord
has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Amen
+++
Sources
Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest by Wayne
Muller.
Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity by Keri Wyatt Kent
Pastor Cheryl Mathison, St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran
Church, Plymouth MN
(Sermon Archive)
