Why I sabbath

It's Sunday morning and I'm on my first cup of coffee on a chilly morning.  Today I have planned ... absolutely nothing.  It's Sunday, and on Sundays, more often than not, I sabbath.  


Some people use the word Sabbath as a proper noun, meaning a specific time when certain activities are abstained from and others are performed.  What is performed might be a ritual dinner or attending a religious service, and for some, what is abstained from might be things like turning on lights, cooking the family meals, or driving their car.  But I use the word as a verb, meaning it's something I do on a personal level -- as an activity -- kind of like walking or breathing. 


I don't always have an activity planned.  Sometimes I do nothing.  But I do always use my sabbath time to draw closer to God.  I can draw closer to God by reading His holy book or by prayer and meditation.  But I can also draw close to God by spending a day walking the beach or hiking.  Maybe some people would find that sacrilegious, but I can tell you it's anything but.  It keeps the tradition alive and real.  Too often people observe the letter of the law and miss the spirit of it.  And any rabbi will tell you this well-known biblical phrase:  That man was not made for the sabbath, but the sabbath was made for man.  It's a gift, to be used and most of all, enjoyed.  A time of rest and reflection.   A time to slow down and ponder one's life in the larger scheme of things.


Like all living things, we require a time of rest.  The day requires sleep. And the week requires a sabbath of some kind, even if you don't hold to an entire 24-hour period of doing nothing.  Maybe you only sabbath for a morning or afternoon.  Maybe it's on a Tuesday instead of Saturday or Sunday.  I believe those things are okay.  After all, when do the priests, pastors and rabbis sabbath?  Surely not while they're conducting three services and meeting newcomers for coffee and doughnuts after each service.  That's WORK.  So anytime you sabbath is a good one.  The idea of sabbath was sanctioned (so you don't have to feel guilty about observing it) and created for us, and even God rested on the "7th Day," not because he needed to, but as an example.  So who are we to think we don't require rest?


I do.  Happy sabbath, y'all.