Ordinary Time

Pause

Sabbath \ SA – bihth \ noun

A special day of resting that we think we’re bigger than, even though God is not.

from Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms (2008)

Listen

Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That’s why the Lord your God commands you to keep the Sabbath day.

Deuteronomy 5:15

Think

There’s a line that many parents have said to their children through the years: “Remember who you are and whose you are.” Figuring out who we each are is one of the ongoing tasks of life, no matter our age. Who I am today is quite different from who I was in high school, and I bet that who I am later in life will be different from who I am today. That’s a gift from God!

As I grow more fully into whom God is shaping me to be, Sabbath helps me to better understand “who I am and whose I am.” I am much more than a sum of my best or worst decisions in life, and I’m much more than my job, my house, or my favorite sports team. I am a child of God!

Tony Vincent

Pray

God, use a “holy pause” in my week to remind me of who I am and whose I am. I am deeply thankful that I am your child! Amen.

Go

Words of life, words of hope
give us strength, help us cope;
in this world where’er we roam
God’s ancient words will guide us home.

from “Ancient Words” by Lynn Deshazo (2001)