Dear Friends:
Several years ago, I preached a sermon at First Pres in which I encouraged us to keep the fourth commandment: “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work ….” (Exodus 20:8-10b)
In that sermon, I reminded us that the commandments are given by God for our benefit;
and a day set aside for rest and worship is good for us. A day of rest from our occupations or daily responsibilities Is good for our physical, mental and spiritual health; and time given to weekly worship refreshes us and feeds us spiritually.
Recently, I ran across these wise words, written by Barbara Brown Taylor: “It does seem to me that at least some of us have made an idol of exhaustion. The only time we know we have done enough is when we are running on empty and when the ones we love most are the ones we see the least.”
If we find ourselves working such long hours that exhaustion is becoming our normal, then our lives are out of balance. If people ask us how we’re doing, and we answer that we’re exhausted as if that’s a good thing, then maybe we have made an idol out of productivity and, along with it, exhaustion. If we find ourselves spending endless hours working and too few hours with those we love, then maybe it’s time for a reset.
We need a day every seven days or so to rest and play. We need to take time away from the daily grind to spend with friends and family. We need to build in time for regular worship, a way to stay connected to God and remind us that we are loved by God, and that love is not tied to our productivity.
When church members comment on something I’ve said in one of my sermons, I often say that we preachers preach what we need to hear. Such a true statement! A few months ago, I began to notice that I was not taking a day off consistently. I was not building sabbath time into my week. Yes, I would take a morning off here or an afternoon off there. But seldom was I taking an entire day off. As a result of this realization, and with encouragement from the Personnel Committee and the cooperation of other church committees, I am now taking Monday as a day off.
So, with worship on Sundays and a day off on Mondays, your pastor is finally practicing what he preaches. The question I ask myself is: Why did it take me so long? That 24-hour block of time away from church responsibilities each week has been refreshing and rejuvenating!
Friends, as your pastor, I encourage you to do likewise. If you’re not already doing so, build sabbath time into your week. You won’t be disappointed!
Grace and peace,
Bruce
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