Shabbat

Monday, March 9


Shabbat
- it's the hebrew equivalent of "stop," "quit," "take a break."

From this word we get our english - sabbath.

And from various places in the Bible and a lengthy tradition in our church cultures, we get a day set aside (in various ways and at various levels - and sometimes not at all) to enact a sabbath.

Sunday.

But for some it has become a day to go to church (the short version so we can hurry home to get-er-done?), and then eat a big meal and then watch tv....football? hockey? soccer? track?....(there will always be something on.) Hmmm....that doesn't seem like sabbath.

Sunday.

It has always been meant for much more.

Like a focused time of considering God's ways and nature...getting absorbed in His presence.

Like a time to express ourselves to God in honesty and in reverent awe...taking stock, straightening out our lives.

Like a time to just "be still and know that (He) is God."

Are you very good at just being still?

Do you, like I, find that you tend to see things more clearly and hear the Spirit of God more plentifully, when you are still? (It works that way in the physical world too.)

It's Monday as I write this.

So how was our Sunday?

Ours was spent in Woodland Park, Colorado, about :45 minutes into the mountains, west from Colorado Springs. Jackie and I got up, got quiet for a season, got ready and drove to Woodland Park by 9:45.

We were overjoyed to see a great friend from the past there, who was leading worship. He had his two young sons eagerly involved with him and that enriched the time as well. It was good worship: lingering, real, responsive.

Then I spoke to the people on the theme "Follow Me" - an expansion of the blog I entered a few days ago. I was speaking to tear-filled eyes at times. It was good.

Then Jackie and I followed a couple who had invited us to their home for dinner and fellowship...15 minutes further into the mountains....to a striking home, set on a hill, overlooking the mountains. Deer in the yard...along with wild turkeys. And lots of birds! Wow.
We lingered long in depth conversation and left feeling we had taken some big steps towards friendship.

Got home at about 5 - and settled in for a quiet evening - with some calls from family that were very good.

It was a very good shabbat.

Hope yours was too. (If not, why not plan the next one a bit more carefully? - only 6 days away!)

Selah...

David