The way I planned for Sabbath was very detail-oriented and reactionary, so, I missed some opportunities to be intentional… As I often do. Better preparing our hearts and minds here would have looked like not just picturing ourselves and our Sabbath, but where Sunday is situated in our week and where we are situated in our community. These are the kinds of things you can learn as you go I suppose, but, I also think there’s a spiritual principle to preparation. I had casually mentioned to people we’d be doing this, but, forgot to remind anyone (sorry mom and dad) that my phone would be off all day. I had already prepared meals we could easily assemble on Sunday so I wouldn’t have to cook, but, I forgot that lunches still needed packed for Monday.
What I forgot until Saturday night is that Sabbathing (new verb) actually takes some real sacrifice, at least in the days leading up to it. And actually, planning is the part of this experience I could have done better. Here is the Sabbath we decided on:Ĭhuck was quick to remind me that the Israelites mostly laid on mats and I think what he may have meant is that I was missing the point. Then, I gave Chuck some space to do the same. I thought through our typical day and decided what felt and didn’t feel like work. Instead, I did something my husband sometimes wishes I wouldn’t: I sat with my feelings for a while. Unless you plan to follow the Orthodox guidelines, pretty much any activity is up for debate on whether it’s rest or work. Now, if you are any kind of legalist, any grading of our efforts will be harsh. We try to slow down on Sundays but we’ve never been intentional about it. And for years, I’ve maybe at best half participated. A needed reminder that God has created for us, given us, this day. Whether we participate or not, God created it, and so it is. Sitting with friends last week, someone smarter than me shared something that had impacted their view of the Sabbath: it doesn’t depend on our participation.