In John chapter 5 Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath. Jesus should have known better.
You don’t heal on the Sabbath.
Thankfully, the Pharisees were there to remind Jesus of his “faux pas”.
Upon questioning his Sabbath breaking, Jesus said things like: “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working”, “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does”, and “…I seek not to please myself but the one who sent me.”
In Jesus’ reply I am comforted in knowing that the Father is always at his work. No vacation keeps Him lounging, no difficult situation keeps Him guessing, and no “rules” keep him confined. Our Father is always at work.
While I am comforted and assured of a God who is always active on behalf of His creation, I also desire to be able to reply with confidence the same way Jesus did: “I do only what I see the Father doing…”
Like an apprentice in relationship to the artisan, being about the Master’s work isn’t merely vocational; it is a calling. This calling isn’t reserved for clergy or those who work in a church, but each one of us.
Since our beginning Renovate has incorporated video in our worship gatherings. We have used video to project song lyrics, share short films that raise questions, and cast images that inspire. Video in our gatherings is as normal part of our liturgy.
I’m sure it came as a surprise to many that we took an intentional break from our video over 4 weeks ago. No lyrics projected, no images, and no short videos…we haven’t even set up the screens. Don’t get me wrong, there are many wonderful uses for video and projection within the context of worship however there are also times when technology has a way of creating distance between others and ourselves. At its best video has the capacity to paint vivid pictures for the mind body and soul however it also has the capacity to overload us to the point where we become desensitized to the world around us.
During our video break we’ve printed out lyrics to songs on sheets of paper to share and sing along with (there is something wonderful about holding a song sheet with another person and singing together). Also in conjunction with our video break Dave Nagel (our Worship Cultivator) has given his musicians a four-week “Sabbath” from playing on Sundays. The hope of this Sabbath for our musicians is to give them both rest from the need to “produce” and the opportunity to reflect on why we offer our gifts in this way.
These intentional breaks from our regular liturgical practice has created other opportunities within our worship like having selected people read Scripture from their seats for all to hear.
This video break has served to remind us that we are not measured by our level of production (as individuals and as a church), but rather through our identification as one of God’s children.
My family and I recently got back from our vacation in Florida. Our time as a family was filled with fun, adventure, relaxation, and connection. I can’t tell you what a gift it was to put my phone away and “let go” of phone calls, emails, txts, and work. This Sabbath for our family allowed us to reflect and remember the love we share with one another and the love that God has for us.
Part of taking a Sabbath means that we need to prepare for rest (remember the Israelites who gathered extra food on the 6th day while in the wilderness?) and that we are intentional in our rest. Too many of us in taking vacations or time away from the office, fail to set up good boundaries for our absence (such as getting extra work done ahead of time/making sure people know who to contact in our absence) and end up checking email or make a “quick call” to the office to handle that “urgent” issue. As this happens we may physically be out of the office, but our mind never stops working. When we fail to “let go” we are easily taken away from the moment in front of us (being with the family, kids, etc) and are mentally transported to some other moment that may seem important but has little to no connection to what is happening around us right now. As a result we become more and more defined by the production of our hands instead of one of God’s unique creations and end up missing some of the beautiful things God does before us everyday.
My family and I can’t stay in Florida forever (sorry kiddos) and need to get back to reality; a reality that includes phone calls, emails, and work. Yet as we’ve returned Misty and I have been intentional about finding ways in which we cannot only turn off our phones and emails, but also our brains from the work we find so important. In doing so we hope to create a rhythm of participating in Sabbath yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily all so we might stay connected to what matters most.
What are some things you do in order to “let go” of work and rest in what is important in life?
What practices have you found helpful when resting to keep your mind from wondering to work, etc?
For the next two weeks I’m taking a Sabbath from communication. No, I’m not going mute; I’m still going to talk with Misty, talk with my friends, talk to myself, and in times of parental breakdown, yell at the kids. But I am taking a break from other forms of communication.
For the next two weeks I’m taking a break from the phone; no calls, no txts (I’ll have to figure out how to spell all over again, "lol"). I’m also going take a communication Sabbath from Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. There will be no status updates, tweets, or meanderings about life…I’m taking a break. Oh yeah, no emails either.
My hope is that taking a break from communicating I can re-connect with the ones that are most important in my life: my kids, Misty, and our Creator. I will be reading, writing, talking. But mostly…
I will be listening.
I’ll be back in 2 weeks. Peace.
