I remember growing up on Sundays we would always take time out of each week, go to church, and then we would rest and spend an afternoon together as a family and friends in fellowship and relationship. My folks didn’t go off to their jobs on Sundays, and all of the house-work was done the day before; Sunday’s was a day purely for doing not much of anything after church. But not all people, or organizations, practice resting one day each week.
I served for 9 years in the Navy, and I can tell you the military does not guarantee a full Sabbath day of rest – the mission always takes priority. I remember deployments all too well; I served on an aircraft carrier for 4 years, and during that time I spent at least ½ of that time out to sea. Being out to sea was rough; we worked 7 days a week. And even though services were offered, at the time I wasn’t interested in spending time with God. I remember learning the commandments as a child, but back then I chose not to apply them – either by the letter or the spirit of the law.
I don’t think too many people in our society are any better. So often these days we constantly run around doing this and that, and working our tails off. All for what: a paycheck, a nicer home, to drag the kids from one thing to the next? I mean really, just look at what’s going on in our church communities – all in all attendance and participation in Christian fellowship and the worship of God has diminished in recent years.
And here’s the kicker… in the midst of all our running we are neglecting the one thing that really binds us to God and one another – and that is relationship. Just look at how Americans enter into relationships these days – much of the time it is virtual. How often have you sat in your church and got online via your cell phone or laptop and perused Facebook? Now, I am all for virtual relationships, but they really don’t allow us time to simply be with one another and rest in one another’s presence.
You know, God created humankind in His image; that means we were created to be in relationship with God and others, and, as God works and rests; we – in His image – also need to rest from our work. Let’s examine together what God has to say about resting and relationship.
If you could please, turn with me to Exodus 20, versus eight through eleven. READ EXODUS 20:8-11
I think it is really interesting that the first word God chose for us in this passage is “remember”. I can’t tell you how many times I have read this passage and have always missed this word “remember.” My mind usually focuses in on the “observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Have you ever done this? As important as God’s command is, I believe the Lord is trying to say something far deeper.
Why not just simply say, “observe the Sabbath and keep it holy”? I mean, why else would He tell us that we need to “remember.” And being that we’re to remember, what is then that we need to remember? I believe this is a really good question for us to ask; because, if we don’t answer this question we may simply continue running rough shot over the rest of the passage.
The Greek Old Testament uses the verb mim-né̄s-kō (meaning remember) some 180 times. We need to ask: are we are to remember to do something, as if it were a task; or rather, are we to remember as in remembering one another in relationship? While we need to remember to “do things, I believe God is beseeching us – actually giving us an imperative command – to remember that we need to set time aside from our busy weeks to be in relationship with him.
God might be saying to us something of the effect. ‘Hey, my children – before you forget, let’s make an appointment to get together once each week. Why don’t you give yourself a reminder in your Outlook or online calendar, and then sync that with your PDA or mobile device. This is really important, because I want to e with you’
Don’t we appeal to God and ask Him not to forget us? Look at these texts: Psalm 106:4, Luke 23:42. Let’s look at the Luke's text - “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom!” The thief hanging on the cross was asking Jesus to remember him not just to so that he could have a ‘ticket into heaven’, but rather, to be in relationship with Christ. I am sure the man was afraid for his life and didn’t want to spend an eternity in Sheol; but I bet he understood that Jesus was the Christ, and that he wanted to spend an eternity in relationship with Him.
When we cry out to God in heaven and ask him to remember us, we’re asking him to remember us in relationship to Him. I think it is only fitting then that God would ask us to set some time aside from the business of our lives and spend some time in relationship with Him. I think what God is saying here is: ‘My children, remember me – please slow down your lives, hit the pause button, and spend some time with me each week. That’s all I am asking.’
And that is really cool. God wants to spend a full-day with us just in relationship. I don’t think this means that we need to stop doing everything and spend an entire day in church. But it does mean that we are to fellowship with others in Christian community and worship with Living God. We are to spend time with God in praise and worship – and thinking of Him throughout the day.
But, as Christians, are we not encouraged to spend time with God and one another daily? Acts 2:42-47 would certainly indicate yes to that question. When we look at the language Luke used in Acts the verbs indicate this continuous, ongoing form of getting together with others to share in our faith and to disciple one another, worshipping together, and be continually in awe and reverence of God. When Christ established His church He set a new precedent. We simply weren’t to just be with God in relationship once each week. Rather, we are to be in relationship with God every day, at all times. Paul says that we are to pray without ceasing. I would argue that is a form of being in relationship.
If that is all true, then when we look at God’s imperative for us to rest one day out of seven, then it must have another purpose which is wholly intertwined with being in relationship with Him. Let’s go back and look at the remainder of the passage. In verse ten, God says that our children, employees, and animals are to take a rest on the Sabbath. The livestock is something we need to focus in on, because normally we don’t think of animals as being in relationship with God.
I have heard it said that manufacturers have learned that if they rest their equipment once each week that their machinery operates at higher standards and lasts longer. If this is true, the Lord’s command that we even give our animals one day of rest makes perfect sense. Consider a farmer or a person operating in an agrarian context. Their animals are like machinery and equipment. They are not there only for slaughter and sacrifice, but also to till fields, produce milk for dairy products, and other needs as seen fit. If these animals are not rested than they will not logically be able to perform at optimum levels.
Now, consider yourself as an individual who is called to serve God and others in Community. How much good are you if you’re not resting as God commands? This can be a real problem for those of us who work in the demanding lifestyle of ministry. Our jobs don’t take a pause on Sunday’s – or often on Saturday’s. We have needs that we need to meet, and services to perform. Certainly, our congregations don’t consider this (well, not many of them anyway). They expect us to be there for them at all times – no matter what.
And the heart of many of us is just that. You want to be there for those in your communities, because that is what relationship is all about. But, what about you – what about you spending time with God just one-on-one? Are you taking time for God once each week? Throw some other relationships on top (say your spouse, friends, children), and you have a recipe for a psychological, physical, or spiritual breakdown. Listen to these statistics about pastors, statistics I think would cut across the board:
Dr. Richard J. Krejcir surveyed 1050 pastors in full-time ministry, and found that :
• Nine hundred forty-eight (948 or 90%) of pastors stated they are frequently fatigued, and worn out on a weekly and even daily basis (did not say burned out).
• Eight hundred eight (808 or 77%) of the pastors we surveyed felt they did not have a good marriage!
• Eight hundred two (802 or 71%) of pastors stated they were burned out, and they battle depression beyond fatigue on a weekly and even a daily basis.
• Three hundred ninety-nine (399 or 38%) of pastors said they were divorced or currently in a divorce process.
These are really scary statistics. Now, regardless if we're pastor's, work in full-time ministry, or have schedules that are about the same, If we don’t rest and take time out with God each week, then we are setting up ourselves for failure. Truly, all of us need to weekly set aside one whole day for simply being in relationship with God and others, and ceasing from our normal, daily grind. So, if you work on Sunday’s, then take another day off and spend it not in ministry function, but with God and others in relationship
How this looks for you or for me may be different. Are we to follow the letter of the Old Testament law and not travel less than 15 minutes from your home, cook or gather food, etc? I’m not so certain. I think these laws were put in place to keep people put in order to be in relationship with one another – not going forth to work, gather, or other.
So, how about this: How about hitting the pause button for one day each week and just simply “be” with God? Remember Him by focusing your attention on Him. Maybe go to the gym, put on your MP3, and tune out the world and praise the Lord while on a treadmill. Maybe take a walk by yourself or with your spouse. How about taking your kids sledding, playing a game with them, or just hang’n with them? The important thing isn’t what you do, it is who you do it with, and rest from your normally activity in the process.
My friends think about this. If we simply rest and be with God, we can “reset” our lives and be all the better for it. Our relationships with God and others will be healthier and more nurturing, we’ll be physiologically, mental, and spiritually renewed, and we’ll ultimately be more effective for do? Let’s close in prayer.
