Sabbath-Keeping? 
Working Too Much or Too Little?
"I'm so busy... I just don't have enough time to complete all my work." Do you need a break, but doubt you have time for it? What about those who don't have sufficient work to sustain themselves? As people living in a broken and fallen world, we need God’s help to break out of working too much or working too little.
The practice of keeping Sabbath helps us to resist the tyranny of too much or too little work. I believe EVERY Christian wants to grow in some way. We just don’t know how. That’s where the spiritual disciplines (you can exchange the word discipline for “practice” or “tool” if you prefer). Sabbath-keeping is ONE of the tools you should have in your toolshed if you’re serious about growing up in the ways of the Lord. Have you ever noticed that when you read Scripture (especially the Psalms), you’re prayer life is impacted for the better (and vice versa, when you pray, you are more likely to have a hunger to hear God’s Word). When you worship on Sunday regularly with God’s people (in your community of faith), you are encouraged to pray and obey God’s Word.
The tools in your toolshed work together to help create a beautifully-kept and harvest-producing garden. In the same manner, prayer, confession, retreats, journaling, Scripture-reading, fasting, tithing, small groups, corporate worship, and Sabbath-keeping all work together to keep the soil of your life fresh, aerated, watered, weed-free, and fertile.
I know what you’re perhaps thinking: did I just read “keeping Sabbath”? Isn’t that in the OLD Testament? We don’t HAVE to DO that anymore do we???
Sabbath in the Bible
The Exodus (20:8-11) commandment to "remember" the Sabbath is grounded in the story of creation. Since we are created in God's image, we are created to work and to rest just like God did.
In Deuteronomy (5:12-15) the commandment to "observe" the Sabbath sees to it that no one, not even animals, will work without respite. Deuteronomy literally means “second law” (deutero=second and nomos=law) because Moses gave the same law laid out in Exodus to a new generation, a second time around. The new generation needed to hear it (in their terms), accept it, and abide in it.
The Sabbath in Judaism
Shabbat - the Jewish Sabbath - is the heart of Judaism. In observant Jewish homes, Shabbat begins each Friday night at sundown as a woman lights the Sabbath candles. Until the following sundown, all activities associated with work or commerce are prohibited. Jews continue to gather for worship on the Sabbath (our local synagogue, Temple Beth El [“House of God”] gathers on Friday at 7:30pm and bi-monthly on Saturday mornings to study the Torah---the first five books of the Bible).
The Sabbath and Jesus
One reason that you should include Sabbath-keeping in your toolshed for spiritual growth is that Jesus himself kept it, but he kept it in a way that drew much scrutiny from the religious leaders of his day. If you read the gospels, you will notice that Jesus primarily healed ON the Sabbath, that he attended the synagogue services ON the Sabbath, and even called himself the “Lord of the Sabbath”!!! Jesus taught and healed on the Sabbath and even said, “Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath!” Jesus said that the Sabbath was given as a gift to liberate us, NOT as a set of handcuffs to restrict us.
You see, when you REFUSE to work seven days a week and TAKE one day off each week to set aside for your God, you can open a gift that God even opened after God created the universe. Rest is very godly, it’s like God. When you refuse to work one day a week and worship, you not only respect God as your Provider, you also come to acknowledge and respect your human limitations AND you become mindful of how OTHERS are unjustly treated in the workplace.
What are good re-creative activities will you do on the Sabbath? Some of the favorites include worshipping, playing, taking a walk, resting, reading, spending time with loved ones. Have a family lunch and/or dinner, light a candle to mark how special it is, and do something FUN.
Want some more on this subject?
Read Sabbath Keeping by Lynne Baab, a Presbyterian minister, who learned how to find rest each week by living in Israel over 20 years ago. The Reed Business reviewed her book and says:
In a gentle, concise style, Baab (A Renewed Spirituality) recommends a weekly day of rest as a gift from God that teaches Christians about grace. Although rules and puritanical solemnity have tarnished Sabbath-keeping in the United States, Baab commends the practice as a balm for frazzled moderns: "The frantic pace, the exhaustion that accompanies it and the resulting emptiness call us back to a rhythm that includes stopping and resting." While Sabbath-keeping is commanded in the Bible, God intends it as a reminder of freedom and abundant life. Baab suggests that Christians customize their Sabbath: All are called to cease from work, but one person's work could be another person's play. (Baab also says the Sabbath may involve freedom from multitasking, technology, media, shopping, competition, talking and anxiety.) Also, she says, the day for the observance does not matter, as long as it is consistent. Baab covers the scriptural reasons for Sabbath observance, but the best sections of this work deal with the personal and the practical. Her account of living (and keeping the Sabbath) in Iran, Israel and the United States instructs and fascinates. One particularly helpful chapter about creating a Sabbath celebration offers tips about making the day special. Winsome, passionate and persuasive, this will convince many Christians of the continuing relevance of the Fourth Commandment. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.