Sabbath Delight: Isaiah 58:9b-14 - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 ^9bIf you remove the yoke from among you,
  the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
 ¹⁰if you offer your food to the hungry
  and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
 then your light shall rise in the darkness
  and your gloom be like the noonday.
 ¹¹The Lord will guide you continually,
  and satisfy your needs in parched places,
  and make your bones strong;
 and you shall be like a watered garden,
  like a spring of water,
  whose waters never fail.
 ¹²Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
  you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
 you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
  the restorer of streets to live in.

 ¹³If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
  from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
 if you call the sabbath a delight
  and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
 if you honor it, not going your own ways,
  serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs;
 ¹⁴then you shall take delight in the Lord,
  and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
 I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
  for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (NRSV)

Dallas Farmers Market by John Tornow.  Creative Commons Image on flickr

In 2008, the Goodwin family of Seattle, Washington decided to do something daring…

And no, they didn’t parachute out of an airplane or go on a reality TV show…

They committed to living their lives by four rules, for one year…

1. They would buy food and goods only from local producers, growers, or manufacturers. 
2. They would buy only used products
3. They would grow and can their own food
4. And whatever things they could not buy locally, they would make themselves—or do without.

The reasons behind this were simple: the cycle of buying things and later throwing them away was a burden on their souls.  They were tired of rushing through their days and constantly feeling discontent with what they had.  They wanted to build meaningful relationships in their community while at the same time living sustainably.

The year would prove more difficult than they could ever have imagined—but, to an even greater extent, it brought them closer to Jesus, to each other.  They saw that the Kingdom of God was all around them.  They called it their “Year of Plenty.” 

But I still can’t help but think “they’re nuts.”

I don’t have the time or the skills to grow my own food.  The economy is bad, and buying local can be expensive.  So I’m naturally going to reach for anything that’s going to make my life easier. Wal-Mart’s tagline “Save Money, Live Better” could easily be my life’s mantra.

But is this what God intends for my life—and yours?

At the beginning of creation, God instituted the Day of Sabbath, a Hebrew word meaning stop.  And God makes a big deal about it.  It is the third Commandment.

Yet the idea of a Sabbath Day feels unrealistic and counter-productive in today’s world.  There’s so much to do and so many obligations to meet. Even for us who come to church, Sunday probably feels a lot like Saturday—or any other day, especially if you have to work today. 

We all need rest—but rest is a luxury that very few can afford.

So you seek rest wherever you can get it. I look for rest in the form of convenience.  This is why I spend so much time at fast-food drive thrus and big box stores.  This is why I have gadgets out the wazoo. 

When the working day is done, we all just want to have fun: and what better way to have fun than to go out to eat; treat yourself to a little retail therapy; stretch out on the couch in front of a big TV.  And if you have the nicest toys and take the best vacations, then you know you’re living well. 

Except that you’re not.  The Goodwins had lived in this way—but something was missing.  That something was Sabbath. 

You see, Sabbath is a gift—before it is an obligation. 

God gives you Sabbath to refresh your weary soul with grace.

God is calling TIME OUT so that God’s presence and God’s priorities may take hold. It’s ironic to think of what they were doing as Sabbath, because it certainly took a great deal of work!  But this was work that forced them to slow down and start paying attention to what God was up to in the most ordinary things of life.  Through Sabbath, God will lead you to a new and better way of living that will ease the burdens on your soul, rather than adding to them. 

So where does your Sabbath begin?

By stopping…  You must STOP and pay attention to what is going.  You must believe that even as time passes and resources run scarce that in Christ, there is always enough. 

So slow down!  Breathe! Remember that wherever you are, Jesus is there.

Then give yourself.  Share your time.  Learn someone’s name.  Hear their story.  Pray with or for that person.  Give them rest.  One of the most powerful ways we see Jesus is when we are open to entering into meaningful relationships with others. 

Do also something the Goodwins did—think about all the stuff you buy, use up, and throw away.  I highly doubt God intended for us to treat his creation the way we do.  Cost and convenience are not the be-all end-all in God’s world.  Believe that you can experience Jesus as you practice sustainable living.

Bear in mind, though, that Sabbath is never the path of least resistance.  It’s always a risk and a great big leap of faith.  As Jesus calls you to himself, the stuff (and the people) you leave behind will be shouting after you.  Voices inside your head will be bombarding you with good reasons why you can’t go Jesus’ way.  Except—that you can, because he goes with you. 

Trust that because God commands Sabbath—God will provide it. 

Pray for Jesus to give you Sabbath that is restful and a more faith-filled way of living.  Pray for Jesus to make your Sabbath a delight.

Bibliography: 

Goodwin, Craig L. Year of Plenty. Minneapolis: sparkhouse press, 2011.