Keep it Sacred

We hear a lot about "seperation of church and state", but we never talk about the seperation of church and sabbath. The two are often thought of in conjunction with one another, and though this is not necessarily a bad thing, we as humans often take it too far and begin to create rules, standards, and expectations that are not biblically founded and are sometimes harmful. 

For me, Sabbath starts on Tuesday morning and ends on Wednesday night, It is the time in which I am able to get away, rest, seek God and holy community, and to worship God through the appreciation and love of His creation. Why?

I have a crazy job! I work 80 hour weeks taking care of 26 teenagers and encouraging them towards wholeness and quality of life. Basically, I am a 24 year old playing "big brother", youth pastor, and protector.  INSANE!

Sadly, one aspect of my job is that I work Sundays and take kids to church. Now, don't get me wrong, I love taking my kids to church! I am, however, still working and having to give the majority of my attention to what they are doing rather than to the service, and I don't get to be involved in the community itself for a variety of reasons. When the service is over it's back to watching kids, giving meds, cooking dinner, stopping fights, etc. etc. etc. 

My Sundays are 0% restful...

So how does one reconcile the need to keep sabbath with a "Christian" job that demands one's Sunday to be work? Does Sabbath have to be on a certain day of the week for it to count or for God to be pleased? Does Sabbath have to be taken somewhere between 6 pm on Friday and midnight on Sunday for it to be counted as Holy or Sacred? I think not. Perhaps the church has severly legalized Sabbath and, as a result, not kept it holy...

I maintain a constistent connection to Christian community. In fact, I am living in the midst of one! The  aspect of Sabbath I am not getting on a daily basis is rest. That's what my "mid-week Sabbath" is all about right now: rest. I need rest, relaxation, and the chance to get away from home. Why? Because I don't go to work...I live there! I can't seperate home from work becasue they are one and the same. My life now revolves around the house of teens and young adults.

Therefore, my Sabbath is about adventure, escape, and being myself. It is a time to work on art projects, see movies, drink coffee, and to do all the things that I enjoy and make me...well, me! 

Sabbath is sleeping in! It is going to book stores and local coffee shoppes, eating breakfast with friends, and playing flashlight tag or volleyball! Sabbath is rest and it is freedom. Sabbath is my chance to take care of myself rather than 26 teens, to seek God's presence and restoration, and to love myself as much as I am loving others. 

Sabbath has become more than just a Sunday morning ritual. It is now a way of life and a means of survival. 

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

"Why not?!"

Everyone knows that Christians are just weird conservatives who just like imposing their rules and stupid regulations on others. I mean, that IS what they are right? Just a bunch of rules...stupid things that make no sense and are just "anti-fun"! Why in Jupiter would I want to follow these rules?


This seems to be the mindset of many people I have interacted with over the years, including some of the youth that I've had the privilege of serving these last several years. Some even find the law and salvation to be contradictory in the Bible. I had one of my most beloved youth once say to me that he knows that "the Bible says that if you believe in Jesus you will be saved, but as I keep looking I see more and more rules and restraints" and somehow this causes tension for him. There are many who want salvation without rules, and many say that they can not see how we are saved if we still have to follow rules. 


The first error is a misunderstanding of salvation, and the second is a misunderstanding of the "law".

According to scripture, salvation is Christ redeeming us from the bondage of sin and from the "curse of the law." It is the bestowing of grace form the hand of a sovereign God to His non-sovereign, yet free-will enabled, creation. Salvation is given to the elected humanity that respond to the Spirit of God as He calls him or her out of darkness.

The law of God is another situation altogether. The "law" seems harsh, difficult, and even contradictory to the doctrine of grace and salvation. To those who stand on the outside looking in, or simply have a misunderstanding of the law, it is cruel and stands like jagged spires waiting to shred the souls of all who dare draw close. Yet, to those who have been graced with salvation and draw near to the goodness of God, the law encircles the mind, heart, and soul of the believer and provides a place of shelter and rest.

We follow the law because ultimately sin will destroy us. Sin is contrary to our original design and is contrary to the divine nature of God. We do not sin because God said so, but He did not just instate rules and regulations to "suck away our fun." He did it for our protection, our prosperity, and our health physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The "Ten Commandments" alone provide regulations for society and for economic growth. Theft, envy, and lying will break down any economic system and lead to suffering. Socially, the same three cause suffering and break down community due to lack of trust. Common sense tells us that worshiping God and ONLY God will foster spiritual growth and a closeness to God almighty. Not a single law that is given is done so without a purpose or meaning, and as gentiles living under the New Covenant we are awakened to the beauty of the "Spirit of the law" as opposed to the "Letter of the law." We must be awakened to the freeing power of the law for us as believers.


Freedom is not living with the complete lack of rules and regulations, but instead it is living within the rules and regulations that fit with the persons nature and provide liberty. For those who are non-redeemed, the law does not provide liberty because their nature is tainted and flawed by sin; therefore, they hate the law and are unable to fulfill the law, for it seems impossible, cold, and as if it desires to destroy all "pleasure" and "fun" in one's life. For us who are experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, our natures are being restored and we can, therefore, live in the joy, peace, and rest that the law instills within us.