January 19, 2018
Last weekend a group of twenty-nine of us made our way to YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park to explore what Sabbath means for us today. Our faithful retreat leaders were Brad and Rita Berglund. Throughout the weekend they did a beautiful job of guiding our understanding of the roots of Sabbath in Scripture for our brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith, and how these roots impact our wellbeing today. It was a time to examine how each of us, in our varying seasons of life, can embody Sabbath; realizing that Sabbath is not just a day off, but a practice to move us toward wholeness.
It was beautiful to have almost every generation represented, with folks up to eighty years old at the retreat. It was an important chance for us to spend time together in ways we don't often get to - learning about each other in new ways. Yet what was incredibly meaningful and humbling was that this exploration of Sabbath resonated with all of us, reminding us that Sabbath is a vital practice at any and every stage of life. Allowing grace to undergird our realizations that Sabbath will not look the same for each of us, or even look the same over the course of our own life.
Brad and Rita ignited our discernment of Sabbath with questions. Questions that are meaningful no matter if you are single, married, with children, without children, a few months old, or eighty years old. If you were not able to join us this past weekend, I hope you will in the future. And in the meantime, I wish to share with you the questions we were offered over the weekend. May these questions give you space to discern how you are practicing - living - Sabbath in this season of life.
Why do you think this commandment was included?
- Referring to the fourth commandment. (Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For is six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.)
- What would a different Sabbath rhythm look like for you?
- What does it mean to truly rest?
- How do you receive Sabbath?
- How does the Sabbath preserve you?
- Referring to Mark 2:27 (The he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.")
