Practising the way of Jesus - Sabbath
As a child, I was brought up in a Christian home, in a time where Sabbath was still practised. I guess there were times as a young teenager when I felt Sunday was a “boring” day but even in spite of this, it always felt somehow special.
The world today seems to suffer from chronic tiredness and I was part of that. A busy working life that ended after 54 years by enforced retirement. Spare time crammed with other ‘stuff, I was one of those people who couldn’t say no. I suppose you could say I lived a life that was filled but not fulfilled.
It was good to know that there were others in the church who like me, were weary and longing for rest, and that even included our Pastor.
It has been great having conversations and coming to know that whilst we may not be lacking in physical rest, Sabbath is about so much more than just this. It’s also about mental, emotional and most importantly spiritual rest. It’s a comfort knowing that I am not the only one who struggles to ‘switch off’ but learning from each other how we are all trying, in our own ways and our own time to discover how we can do Sabbath and enjoy genuine rest in today’s world. I am really enjoying the journey which is not an easy one but interesting. Sharing experiences and finding out more about myself in the process.
The description I read recently, I believe aptly sums up “Sabbath is a gift from God to be embraced, not a spiritual hoop to jump through”.
- Helyne MacLean
