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| Image by Justin Kern |
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A GREETING
For God alone my soul waits in silence.
(Psalm 62:1a)
A READING
Moses said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.”’ So they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded them; and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, ‘Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. For six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a sabbath, there will be none.’
(Exodus 16:24-26)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
‘Be still, and know that I am God!'
(Psalm 46:10)
A REFLECTION
Sabbath is more than the absence of work; it is not just a day off, when we catch up on television or errands. It is the presence of something that arises when we consecrate a period of time to listen to what is most deeply beautiful, nourishing, or true. It is time consecrated with our attention, our mindfulness, honouring those quiet forces of grace or spirit that sustain and heal us.
- from Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives
by Wayne Muller
VERSE OF THE DAY
Hallow my sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you.
(Ezekiel 20:20)
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Take a few moments to close your eyes and rest in the sound of wind.
Genesis 1 describes the making of plants and wildlife and sea creatures before it describes the creation of humankind. Therefore, it is possible to consider that everything, not only humankind, has been made in God's image and that God’s creativity is an expression of God’s hospitality to us. Therefore, the invitation to observe the sabbath, is an invitation into God’s home, to rest, enjoy, be at peace with what has been made for us. When the biblical people were enslaved and in forced exile, the sabbath tradition became an essential way of surviving while surrounded by oppressors. It was a way to carve out a moment of remembering who they were.
The earliest monastic founders of the Celtic church kept a seventh-day sabbath on Saturdays, in keeping with the Hebrew Bible commandments and customs. The Torah holds prescriptions against working on the sabbath, but mostly to do with work that was based on creativity. What we do on a sabbath day of rest is to realign our hearts and minds with God's deepest desires for us.
In our hectic over-run days of duty and care, it can be hard to surrender ‘doing’ to ‘being’. Busyness is an easy habit to fall into, especially when our cell phones and computers are never far from reach. Giving ourselves purposeful activity creates meaning. And yet the simple verse in Psalm 46 comes with an exclamation mark: in Hebrew it’s not a suggestion, it's a command.
Advent is our sabbath rest time of the spirit, in preparation and waiting. When we are able to be still and listen for God, we are more likely to renew our own creative light. In order to find that space, we have to make room for the beauty of Creation that lives within us. Music, prayer, the arts, and nature can help us to do that, by inviting us to let go of all of our ‘doing’ and simply rest in beauty.
How can we teach ourselves to be still, as one of the ways we honour the sabbath?
What are our own sabbath prayers?
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| Image by Anthony |
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LC† Come Holy Darkness is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year.
Thank you and peace be with you!