Listen

Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. Six days you may work and do all your tasks, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work on it—not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your animals, or the immigrant who is living with you. Because the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them in six days, but rested on the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

Think

Have you ever been crazy busy? When I was a high school senior I was overcommitted, and I got sick. I missed school, but I remember contemplating going to school musical practice after school, even though I was still sick and contagious. My mom stepped in and told me no. I needed to stay home and rest. My body was telling me to stop and rest.

This commandment for Sabbath is a command to know our limits. That’s part of being human. Even God took a rest; so should we.

There are many things vying for our energy. It’s tempting to keep going all the time. It’s hard to say no or to stop. The temptation is to think that we are in charge and we are limitless. God’s command is to stop and rest and be reminded that we are not God.

How can you take moments today to rest or plan ahead to rest and practice Sabbath in the coming week?

Susan Sytsma Bratt

Pray

Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless among miracles. Lord, fill my eyes with seeing and my mind with knowing. Let there be moments when your Presence, like lightning, illumines the darkness in which I walk. Help me to see, wherever I gaze, that the bush burns, unconsumed. And I, clay touched by God, will reach out for holiness and exclaim in wonder, “How filled with awe is this place and I did not know it.”

Adapted from a Jewish prayer for Sabbath

Go

Go out into God’s world in peace.

Have Courage.

Hold onto what is good.

Return to no one evil for evil.

Strengthen the fainthearted.

Support the weak.

Help the suffering.

Honor all people.

Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.