A nice little discussion starter regarding the Sabbath, although I do not agree with all of it. In my opinion, it is lacking theologically. But then again, this is also a sociological perspective. I must note that we do not observe the Sabbath in order to be rested enough to undertake the tasks that the rest of our week holds. Sabbath isn’t intended for us to get one step up on the competition (research has shown work productivity goes up with this day of rest). I would like to think of the Sabbath, not as the beginning of the work week, but rather the culmination of the work week. In order to properly observe the Sabbath, we need to have certain obligations taken care of so we don’t spend our Sabbath stressing about everything we have to get done. In the creation narrative, God takes his day of rest at the end of the week. It’s what God is working towards. It’s the culmination of the week to just be in God’s presence, rather than having to do something in God’s presence. Maybe a simple shift in the way we look at Sabbath in comparison with the rest of the week would hold profound implications.
The Sabbath
A few quotes regarding the Sabbath that I wish to share with you.
“To the biblical mind, however, labor is the means toward an end, and the Sabbath as a day of rest, as a day of abstaining from toil, is not for the purpose of recovering one’s lost strength and becoming fit for the forthcoming labor. The Sabbath is a day for the sake of life. Man is not a beast of burden, and the Sabbath is not for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency of his work. ‘Last in creation, first in intention,’ the Sabbath is ‘the end of the creation of heaven and earth.’” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
”The requirement of Sabbath observance invites us to stop. It invites us to rest. It asks us to notice that while we rest the world continues without our help. It invites us to find delight in the world’s beauty and abundance.” – Norman Wirzba
“In [the Jewish] view, Sabbath observance is what we work toward. As our most important and all-encompassing goal, it frames and contextualizes our planning, much as the desire to achieve a specific objective – a championship, a masterful performance, an exquisite meal or party – will require that we take the proper steps all along the way. Sabbath frames our entire life, helping us set priorities and determine which of our activities and aspiration bring honor to God.” – Norman Wirzba
Slowness as Spiritual Discipline
Another Sunday, a day of rest, of ceasing activity, of stopping. The rush and hustle-and-bustle of the past week of classwork (papers and tests) has passed and break has welcomed me. My typical routine on Sundays has been attending church with my roommates and then returning and making muffins for ourselves and our neighbors. For me, baking is a way of slowing down, of resisting the fast-paced society that so often drives us.
I was flipping through channels this week, and stopped on food network. They were visiting restaurants involved in the slow food movement. This movement is a reaction against the fast-food world, a movement centered around the awareness of the food we eat and where it has come from. It has transformed and infused slow-cooking with something beyond just the food – community and rest. Although muffin-making may draw some giggles, for me it transcends baking for the sake of baking. It is my way of remembering that God is in control, and no matter how hard many seeds we plant or how many plants we water or how many gardens we hoe, it is still God that allows the plant to grow. It’s funny how something as subtle as baking muffins can hold such profound meaning.
