Remembering the Sabbath

From the commandments given to us at Mount Sinai, to Psalm 23 when the Lord, “makes us rest beside still waters” to Jesus’ leaving the crowds to go and pray, God’s longing for rest for all creation is demonstrated again and again and again. Yet, we struggle to listen, to take this commandment seriously as individuals or within our communities be they faith, family or civic.

It has become a bit of a spiritual discipline here at Minneola to take a programmatic sabbath during the month of January to help us all remember the gift of rest, the gift of self, the gift of connection to God through a slower, more intentional weekly practice. Our Sundays slow down, allowing all of us to focus on our worship life together. Sundays throughout January are scheduled simply as “Worship” and that worship will be for everyone.

As we begin a new year, we recenter ourselves around Christ and the rest he provides us in mind, body and spirit. Rest in song, prayer, word, and communion. I encourage all of us to take advantage of a less hectic church calendar to reconnect with the Holy Trinity and rest in the loving embrace of their creating, redeeming and sustaining presence.

Sabbath can be remembered and practice through a variety of spiritual disciplines. As a community we focus on worship during January, but how might you as an individual, couple, family or household find ways to remember the sabbath throughout the week and in your daily lives? Give yourself the gift of God’s grace to rest, to stop, to lie down beside still waters and to go away and pray for a while.

We make the road by walking…together,

Pr. Hannah