Learning to Rest, Round 2

After last week's Sabbath debacle, I spent time this week reframing what Sabbath is meant to be. I found myself asking, what if Sabbath is more about what you can do and less about what you can't.

Last week's prohibitions, which felt more like a straight jacket than a blessing, were unshackled and cast aside, replaced by heart and soul willing and ready to throw themselves headlong into rest.

So it might surprise you to hear that for the second Saturday in a row, I was up before sunrise, this time driving an hour and half to wipe tables and sweep up after a couple hundred teenagers' meals. I was heading out to the final Faith Quest, a weekend where teens encounter the living God. At face value, it wasn't set up to be a restful day.

In terms of relaxation, it wasn't restful at all. In terms of the spirit of the Sabbath, though, it felt closer in line with God's intention. The day was filled with worship, which in itself should mark it as a success. It was also filled with sweet reunions, including the chance to hug the neck of someone I love so dearly but rarely speak to. It gave me an opportunity to serve some of God's children and to work alongside others.

It reminded me of Jesus. The times we see him on the Sabbath, he's defending his followers' right take care of themselves, he's healing people left and right, he's reading scripture.

He's redefining rest.

Photo credit: ( kurtz ) via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND