Let me begin by summarizing the main ideas from yesterday's teaching:

1. God rested on the seventh day and enjoyed what He had accomplished on the previous six days (Genesis 2:1-3).  God's rest was not from being worn to a frazzle; He spoke creation into existence.  He stopped, took the world in, delighted in it.  I can hear Him say, "Ahhhh!"

2. God commanded Sabbath for Israel (Exodus 20:8-12; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).  Sabbath was a set-apart day for a set-apart people.  Everyone and everything stopped to rest--men and women, slaves, refugees, and animals.  In God's kingdom, all of creation rests, just as He did.   

3. Jesus kept the Sabbath, which was one of the ways (along with solitude) that He practiced slowing down and pulling over (Luke 4:16).  Jesus observed the Sabbath, but also restored God's intent for the day by dispensing mercy and setting people free (Matthew 12:1-14; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 5:1-7; 9:1-41).  The Sabbath was observed in the early church, as well, and provided the apostles with an important venue in which they could preach about Jesus, because the Jews gathered in the synagogues on the Sabbath to hear Scripture read and explained (Acts 13:14, 44; 16:13; 17:3-4; 18:4).

4. We need to stop and rest.  One of the literal ways to translate Sabbath is "stop."  It is a day to stop doing regular work.  While Sabbath observance is not commanded in the New Testament and special days must be evaluated by each believer (Romans 14:5-6), there are solid, reasons why a Sabbath is important for followers of Jesus, if not necessary for deep transformation into His likeness.

• Sabbath reminds us that God is God and we are not.  The world turns by God's loving, sustaining work, not ours.
• Sabbath keeps us rooted in God's grace in creation and new creation.  We rest in His accomplishment on our behalf, which we receive freely because He loves us.  We are not valuable because of what we accomplish, but because we are God's.
• Sabbath allows us to participate in something God and Jesus did.  This alone is reason enough to keep the Sabbath.
• Sabbath renews and re-energizes us so that we can be more like God, more productive, and more creative.  Lynne Baab is right, "Seven full days makes one weak."  So, people that claim to be too busy or who are afraid they will get less done must learn to trust God's wisdom through Sabbath.  He made the day for Himself and for us.
• Sabbath creates space and time for God to do deep work within our souls.  Transformation into the image of Jesus takes time and Sabbath provides it.

How do we practice Sabbath? 

Here are a few ideas, primarily taken from Lynne Baab's excellent book Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Life and some from a Josh Graves presentation at the Zoe Leadership and Worship Conference in Nashville in October 2007.

WHEN: Sabbath does not have to be Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath day).  Choose a day that works well for your family.  If schedules do not allow everyone to "stop" regular work on the same day, choose days that work for each of you.  Consider beginning with the day you have off already (which for most people is Saturday).  I believe this is one of the ways we exercise freedom in Christ while keeping God's intention behind the command. 

HOW:  What do we cease from doing and what should we do on a sabbath?

1. Stop doing your regular work; that is, cease from doing the work that you normally do to earn an income or that is your daily work, even if you do not earn an income for it.  Stay-at-home moms and dads, retirees, students, home-bound, and the unemployed need a day to do something renewing and restful. 

2. Baab recommends doing nothing that would appear on your "to do" list.  One woman in the book said, "If an activity feels like something I 'have to do,' I try to do it on other days.  If an activity feels like something I 'get to do,' then it's a candidate for the sabbath."

3. Avoid activities that make you hurry or increase your stress.  Sabbath is a way to slow down and pull over.

4. Begin your personal or family sabbath with a prayer, blessing, or Scripture.

5.Read, especially portions of Scripture, but also other books that you enjoy or help you relax.

6. Rest.  Sit, nap, or relax.  Imagine and dream.  Reflect on the previous week and give it to God.  In what ways

7. Enjoy creation (this is what God did on the Sabbath).  Enjoy the outdoors--hiking, canoeing, or fishing.  For some, gardening is not work or an item on the "to do" list, but enjoyment. 

8. Worship.  Some of you will practice Sabbath from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.  View worship as a part of your sabbath to celebrate God's work in your life and in the world.

9. Spend time in relationship, especially with family, but also with friends.  Use mealtimes to share food, laughter, and conversation.  Eat, walk, talk, read, and...

10. Play.  Yes, play.  Laugh.  Let God enjoy seeing you, with others, live in His freedom and love and community.  Surely God is the Creator of play, laughter, and humor.