Shabbat in Jerusalem
Shabbat (Sabbath) means "to cease from one's labor." We have just experienced our first Shabbat since arriving in Jerusalem on Tuesday. In keeping with a very long Jewish tradition, which can already be seen in the days of Genesis One (where each day begins with evening), Shabbat begins at sundown Friday evening and concludes at sundown Saturday evening. It is now Saturday evening and the sun just sank below the western ridge opposite JUC as I write this line. The entire day has been notable in terms of quietness. Traffic was minimal and the hubbub of a modern city almost completely absent. Okay, just as I wrote this last line, I heard an automobile honking because Shabbat is now over and activity will soon pick up on what is called motzaei Shabbat ("the going out of Sabbath). Tomorrow (Sunday), once again, the din of city noises will be constant background noise.
There is something to be said for practicing Shabbat. Most evangelical Christians no longer observe Sabbath (on Sunday, of course!) like previous generations of evangelicals did. We have adapted to the neck break pace of modern American society and work hard and play hard. That leaves little room for contemplating God's being and his expressed will for us in Scripture. The Psalmist says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). We "do church" and assume we have fulfilled our obligation and honored God by doing so. But even doing church has to be programed into our crammed schedules.
Perhaps we can learn from the Jewish tradition of Sabbath keeping, not in a legalistic or mystical approach, but in a fresh realization that ceasing from our normal work schedule and setting aside time to listen to and contemplate the Master of the Universe is essential for our overall well-being . Transposed into a Christian context this means attuning ourselves to the Triune God. Such an exercise is a powerful means of becoming more like Christ. And when we become more like Christ, we relate to others in a more Christ-like manner and more effectively advance the kingdom of God, a rather counterintuitive idea by North American standards.
The prophet Amos had some trenchant remarks for his generation concerning their "religious performances." In a piece of biting sarcasm the prophet tells the people of Israel (the northern kingdom) that their sacrifices, tithes and offerings, which they "love to do," only multiplies their transgressions (Amos 4:4-5). In short, what God desires is not solemn assemblies, burnt offerings, the noise of songs and melody of harps (Amos 5:21-23), but living in obedience to his will.
Living in obedience to God's will is not something that happens simply because I schedule an appointment with God on my iPod Touch for one hour once a week. It will almost certainly require setting aside more time to listen to the Master of the Universe. In short, our evangelical ancestors would almost certainly chide us for our lax Sabbath observance. And , you know- "what ? They would have a good point. We should seriously reconsider our whole attitude towards the Christian Sabbath. I intend to do so.
May your Christian Sabbath be an enriching experience tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment