25 September 2007

Sabbath

When most of us think of "sabbath," a Jewish day of the week comes to mind. Perhaps "Sabbath Services," for example. And then we remember that we're supposed to keep it holy. And that's about as far as we get with it.

I've tried in recent years to understand this idea for myself. How do I understand sabbath as it relates to my own life? And what do I do about that?

I'll be the first to admit that I'm really bad at it for starters! I had some friends in seminary that were quite good at it. They would choose a regular day of the week, not do any homework, not leave the house/apartment, and not answer their phones. It was truly a day of rest for them.

When I started working at Immanuel, I told the personnel committee that I believed in a sabbath time to rest and that I intended to take my weekly day off very seriously. But that hasn't happened all the time. What I have come to find out out is that I work so many long days, Saturdays, and every Sunday that I have had to take sabbath time in small intervals rather than a full day at once. The past few weeks have been very busy at the church and in my life, personally, so I decided today would be a true day that was my own. So here is how I've spent my "sabbath."

*I slept until noon, without even waking up once.
*At 7:45 p.m., I have yet to be out of my pajamas.
*I made oatmeal cookies with butterscotch morsels in them.
*I vaccuumed the rug and all of the hardwood floors.
*I did enough laundry to get me through the rest of the week.
*I talked to no one but my mom and my sister.
*I cross-stitched a Christmas gift while watching a lot of Scrubs.

And soon, I will draw myself a bath, hop in to read, relax, shave, and use my clay mask before I head to bed.

It has been a day much-needed. A sabbath - to me - is about re-energizing myself to serve my community of faith. I am eager to go back to work tomorrow. There are many things to be done, and I am excited about their impact on this world. It is an amazing thing to be a vocational minister. It is even more incredible when I care for myself and am prepared for service.

1 comment:

Katie said...

Hey, if you go to driverswanted.org there's a 'sermon' that russ did last fall on the sabbath with lots of interesting points. Just an FYI!