Sabbath Practices Let Us Remember What Matters in Modern Lives
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these.” —Matthew 6:28-29
It goes without saying that many of us clergy, as for most of our parishioners, would find it impossible to “neither toil nor spin.” Our identity may be so attached to “what we do,” that we can’t imagine who we are beyond our “toiling” and “spinning” selves.
Contemporary writers have sought to interpret Sabbath in ways that speak to the hectic lives of modern persons. Abraham Heschel, in his classic book, The Sabbath, speaks not just to his fellow Jews but to all of us caught up in a complex modern life and consciousness that cannot see any other way of being.
In The Sabbath, Heschel advocates for the enduring value of Sabbath because of – and not in spite of – our modern lives. Heschel asserts:
The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. We are called upon to share what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world.
Indeed, Heschel offers an antidote to our information driven society when he writes, “The higher goal of spiritual living is not to amass a wealth of information, but to face sacred moments.”
A contemporary writer, Wayne Muller, addresses the tradition of Sabbath for those who cannot schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a Sabbath afternoon, a Sabbath hour, or a Sabbath walk. By re-framing Sabbath in this way, he makes it possible for many of us to discover the underlying significance of Sabbath – rather than dismissing it as an impossible practice.
When you can incorporate the practice of a Sabbath day – do so. In the meantime the following practices that Muller offers can begin to bless our lives and ministries:
A Sabbath walk: For 30 minutes walk slowly and silently – without trying to get anywhere. Let your senses guide your walk. Follow your own timing and curiosity. When you are called to stop, stop and investigate. When you are called to begin again, move on. At the end of 30 minutes, notice what has happened to your body, your mind, your sense of time.
Prayer: Prayer is like a portable Sabbath, when we close our eyes for just a moment and let the mind rest in the heart. Like the Muslims, who stop to pray five times a day, like the Angelus, a Roman Catholic practice of prayer at noon, we can be stopped by a bell, a sunset, a meal, and we can pray. We can begin slowly with a simple prayer, like a pebble dropped into the middle of our day, rippling out over the surface of our life.
Meditation with Scripture: Choose a short piece of scripture for reflection. Read it a few times silently and then choose a phrase that speaks to you. Sit quietly or take a walk and allow the scripture to accompany you. Without grasping for meaning or answers, let the phrase live in the breath, using it to bring awareness back to this moment whenever the mind wanders.
An altar: Create a space for an altar, nothing elaborate. You may want to light a candle, say a prayer. This can be a place you come to, a Sabbath in your home.
Reflections on what matters: Make a list of some of the inviolable precepts that guide your life (e.g., “To honor the earth,” “To love God.”). Take Sabbath time to speak them aloud. Notice how you feel when you hear them and what resistance or what relief arises. Notice how the memory of these spoken precepts resonates in your body throughout the day.
Take off your shoes: Stand still and quiet for a moment. Let your feet touch earth, soil, floor, and rock. Feel the visceral holiness rise up and kiss tender bare feet.
What can you let go of? One thing, beginning with the smallest thing. A book unread – can it be given to a library? Old clothing, never worn, to the poor? A project that feels like a responsibility but brings joy to no one? Pick one thing this week, another the next, and discard something that has become unnecessary. Feel any release as you let it go?
These simple practices (and others mentioned in Muller’s book) allow us to incorporate Sabbath time into our ministries.
The Rev. Dr. Lawrence Peers is an associate for pastoral development with the Pastoral Excellence Program of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. His article is reprinted from the January 1, 2005, edition of the program’s newsletter, “Pastoral Excellence Program News.”
