Is Keeping the Sabbath Relevant Today?

Introduction

I grew up in Mississippi in the 1980s and 90s. Sunday mornings were quiet. If anyone was out driving, they were either driving to church or from church. I remember my dad lamenting the rain on Friday evening and early Saturday and I said, “Just mow it on Sunday.” And he said, “Son, you don’t mow your yard on Sunday.”

Why?

“Because it’s Sunday and you don’t do that on Sunday.”

So strong was his statement I remember the first time I saw someone mowing their yard on Sunday.

For many people, Sunday is a day set aside for family, friends, and faith. It is a day of spiritual, mental, and physical rest and rejuvenation.

Along with no lawnmowers going,  stores were not open on Sunday. None. Zilch.

On Sunday people either went to church or spent time with their families.

I later learned that these were leftovers of blue laws, which started as the government imposing religious beliefs about observing the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship. Over time, the government’s hand withdrew but the effect lingered.

When we think about keeping the sabbath we may think we are being regressive, puritanical.

However, keeping the Sabbath is not regressive. Think of all the things God could have taught the people in the book of Exodus after they came out of Egypt. God gave them 10 things. Is not murdering someone regressive? Is not stealing something that doesn’t belong to you when you already have enough regressive? Is practicing contentment regressive? God gave them 10 things and one of the things God said to the people is this: and remember, 1 day out of 7, you need to rest, remember, and give thanks.

We are the ones who made it a chore and a burden instead of a gift.

What Jesus teaches in this passage is progressive. What he teaches is not more law. What he teaches in this passage, is the Sabbath is a God-given gift that rejuvenates us spiritually, physically, mentally, and relationally.

What Jesus Taught about the Sabbath in Mark 2:23-3:6

In Mark 2:23-3:6, we read about how Jesus and the disciples walked through a grain field on the Sabbath. It seems they are walking to the synagogue. The disciples, feeling hungry, began to pluck heads of grain and eat them. Believe it or not, certain religious sects in Jesus’ day held that this was work that broke the Sabbath. They used this as an opportunity to discredit Jesus.

Jesus responds by reminding them of King David, a person they revere. David was hungry and ate the bread that was consecrated and reserved for priests because he was hungry.

Jesus avoided making more laws and prohibitions for the Sabbath.

Jesus then gives the bottom line: the Sabbath was made for humankind; humankind was not created for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given to serve us not the other way around.

They arrive at the synagogue. To press his point, Jesus spoke to a man with a withered hand, “Come forward.” Jesus then asked the restrictive people, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?”

Notice this. Verse 5 tells us, “He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’” The man was healed, and the other people were upset.

They couldn’t admit they would rather keep their wrong ideas than be open to new ideas. People don’t act this way today, do they?

If the purpose of the sabbath mattered to Jesus that much then we do well to do the same.

The Sabbath Day for Today?

You and I may not be like the anonymous man Jesus called forward, but modern life does wither us in some ways.

We face the constant pressure to be connected. We carry devices that should serve us, but sometimes they enslave us. We are now available for phone calls, texts, emails, and messaging through social media apps and notifications every minute of every single day. 

We face the relentless demands of work. In the first months of the Covid-19 outbreak, we shifted from working at an office to working remotely. Now guess what? We now work from an office and home. It is now very difficult to keep the boundary between work and home clear. It’s not that it was easy before.

We have feelings of information overload –all these factors can leave us feeling drained, exhausted, and disconnected from ourselves, the people around us, and the beauty of art and nature.

The constant busyness leaves us with little time, energy, or interest for spiritual growth and connection with God.

• the constant pressure to be connected.

• relentless demands at work

• information overload

  This makes us all in need of rest.

The emotional toll of navigating relationships, managing stress, and facing negativity online leaves us feeling emotionally drained.

Information overload, constant stimulation, seeing other people’s idealized lives on one hand, and being exposed to the trauma that goes on in the world, negatively affect our mental health.

Prioritizing work and overwork often leads us to neglect our physical well-being, which leads to unhealthy habits.

We are connected and busy and distracted and therefore we are disconnected from the very people we live with and the world we live in.

The Sabbath is God’s way of inviting us to come forward for rest, rejuvenation, and healing.

5 Benefits of the Sabbath

The Sabbath is the antidote to the withering we all experience.

1. Rest and Recharge

Taking a break from the rat race allows our bodies and minds to recharge. This improves our focus, creativity, and overall well-being.

([Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/well/mind/brain-break-focus-productivity.html]

2. Reconnect with God and Strengthen your Faith

The Sabbath provides dedicated time for prayer, meditation, studying Scripture, taking the sacrament, worship, and fostering a deeper connection with our faith.

3. Strengthen Relationships

Putting away technology and focusing on quality time with loved ones strengthens bonds, creates lasting memories, and fosters emotional connection.

4. Improve Your Mental Health

Researchers found that religious attendance is associated with a lower risk of depression and anxiety. The same study suggests religious practices can promote feelings of purpose, meaning, and social connection, all of which contribute to mental well-being.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22786758/

5. Reconnect with Ourselves

The Sabbath counters the bombardment of information and distraction we experience every day. The Sabbath allows us time for introspection, reflection, and discovering what nourishes us.

Monopoly and other board and card games are a go-to for our family.

7 Best Practices for a Meaningful Sabbath

1. Schedule It

Treat Sunday, treat this worship service and your Sabbath like any other important appointment. Block out a specific time in your calendar. Seriously. Block out your drive time to and from church and the worship time. Then, when something comes up you will see how often you negotiate it.

I work on Sunday, as you see. Friday is my day of no work. It is a day I set aside to do what fills me up.

Barb and I share errands. I spend time organizing my week, so I don’t have to spend my Friday doing those things. I must schedule it and be diligent, or it just doesn’t happen.

2. Disconnect

Set aside a portion of your day to be tech-free. If you do that you are more likely to be present with the person you are with. You are more likely to be less distracted and able to be in the moment.

3. Prioritize Rest

Listen to your body. Catch up on sleep, enjoy some quiet time, and focus on activities that restore and revitalize you.

Last summer I enjoyed a sabbatical which was a gift you gave me. Thank you, once again. When I settled into my sabbatical, I experienced deep rest. It was mid-morning three or four weeks into it, and I told Barb, “I am so tired.” She said, “Dude, it’s your sabbatical. Sleep.”

Over the next three days, I slept 12-16 hours each day. My body and mind needed to recover.

We need weekly rhythms of rest.

4. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature

Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature: a walk, hike, or being outside in the fresh air will have a powerful effect on reducing stress and increasing feelings of peace. Nature is also a gift.

5. Nurture Relationships

Connect with loved ones. Establish habits or rhythms that are not burdensome.

If you have kids, create a tradition (game night, movie night). One year we had a glass jar on our table. In the glass jar written on pieces of folded paper were conversation prompts like, “If you could have any wild animal as a pet and it wouldn’t eat you, what would it be?” Or, “What was the best part of your week?” “Tell someone around the table what you appreciate about them.” Each night someone in the family took a turn and pulled a piece of paper out and they got to answer it first.

6. Cultivate your Spirit

Spend time in prayer and meditation, attend a religious service, and read scripture.

7. Explore your passions

Devote time to activities to bring you joy and fulfillment outside of your obligations.

Every Sabbath can be different. Maybe it’s a rotation of these ideas, but the idea is that it helps enliven you.

A small thing I do is grow wildflowers.

Conclusion

God loves you and wants you to thrive. Jesus invited everyone and said, “Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.”

And the same Christ who is the Lord of the Sabbath who took the grain in that field, knows you are hungry spiritually. Today he has gathered grain from many fields and offers you a meal to eat on this Sabbath.

It is a gift, let us be glad together as we come to the Table of the Lord.