People who don't get the idea of our Holy Rest drive me crazy...don't know that they're not made to go on and on and on...don't they see they're made to pause every now and then. Things like Uni students at my church who think they must study every hour of every day, while commendable is ultimately self-destructive. So when I was reading "A Passionate Life" by Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad and stumbled across their section on resting [ch.7 The Seventh Day] I was blessed with a great perspective on keeping a day for Holy Rest (my emphasis).
As I thought about it I realised that we humans don't appear on the scene of the creation until well into the 6th day and that all preceded that day happened without our input in any way shape or form. Imagine that - God acting without any recourse to our opinion or prayers! Shocking!
So as B & K point out when God rested on the 7th day, and called humans to rest with Him, our forebears were actually resting on the first full day of their existence. They prepared for their emergence among all that God had made, by first resting. They were not taking a well-earned rest at the end of a week of frantic activity, followed by a day of frantic religious activity. Rather - they were being prepared for what the Lord had designed them to accomplish in the perfection of His purpose.
Further it was a preparation for the creativity with which He had enjoined them as His fellow-workers in "the garden". Sunday is not just the height of our creative, it is also engaging with the Creator Spirit; having our creative energies and intelligence refuelled and inspired. If there's no time for creative development in our week of frantic activity, then here it is, in resting and refuelling in the fellowship of God's loved people and in moments of blessed solitude.
This way of looking at it maybe sets the Sabbath at the start of the week rather than as a way of recuperating at the end of the week. It also puts in the theological rubbish bin all our silly questions about what is permitted on Sunday; questions like "how much work?" or "is sport work?" or "isn't shopping on Sunday only encouraging others to break the Sabbath?" become irrelevant when we acknowledge that the issue is restoration, preparation, inspiration, gathering momentum for the great spring back into life and mission in the field to which the Spirit has lead us. The question how do I best rest, reflect and restore my intellect and energy both in fellowship and solitude?
Well how do we? How do you do this?
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