In January of this year, I wrote about a new leg of our journey. I wrote about the importance of taking a Sabbath, a day of rest. For Christians, a Sabbath is on Sunday. It means attending church.
When God introduced the Sabbath to Moses, it was for taking rest; a day to cease from labor of any kind. To focus on the Lord was not the purpose of the Sabbath; Israel belonged to him and daily focused on the Lord. In that regard, the Sabbath was no different from any other day. The Old Testament book of Numbers makes this clear when Moses instructs the Priests to offer the daily sacrifices unto the Lord. These daily sacrifices were made without exception.
Through the years, Sabbath and church attendance have become synonymous, when in the beginning, that was not the case.
The challenge of taking a Sabbath is to honor the original intend of taking a break, chilling out, relaxing by not doing the things you do six days a week. I confess it has been a challenge to keep. The world we live in offers so many distractions, with so many ways to stay busy. I think it is easier to surrender to the distractions than it is to relax.
Having said that let me attempt to clarify that relaxing does not mean being bored. Relaxing does not mean enjoying oneself or having fun. It does include the Lord, but that is a daily occurrence.
The Shabat, or Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday, lasting until dusk on Saturday. It begins with a family meal followed by family interaction in song, teaching and prayers. It is a festive gathering lasting the evening. The following day is one of relaxation and reflection—and of course more food.
This is a day of rest. It is one of happiness, joy and celebration. The Sabbath is meant to be about God, family and faith. It is celebrated every seven days. This is why there is a set day. The day does not necessarilary involve attending a service; although there should be time to reflect on the Lord and his involvement in your life.
I challenge you to revisit is day of rest. Perhaps it can be a time of rediscovery as well as an exciting path in your journey to a close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.