The Search for Sabbath

            Recently I went in search of sabbath rest.  The subtitle of the retreat was “leading from a place of rest and renewal.”  However, all kinds of things seemed to interfere.

            My previous trip took longer than expected and included a stressful night near the Toronto airport.  Once I finally got repacked and on my way, my luggage did not arrive with me.  However, I did bring some severe back pain with me that had started the previous week.  Between trying to track down my luggage and trying to locate a chiropractor within walking distance, any initial chance of rest and renewal slipped away.  In the end, I had one good day that included an opportunity to go hiking in the desert.

            Then, on the final day of the retreat, I heard about something called The Nap Ministry.  It is a ministry that promotes not just naps, but taking the breaks that help to keep our body and mind connected.  It is also a way of resisting a culture that encourages people to be sleep deprived and to over-work.

            Tricia Hersey, the founder of the Nap Ministry (aka the Nap Bishop), says over and over again that this is about more than just taking naps.  It is also about the human need for sabbath rest and the unjust systems that continue to enslave people.  For Hersey, all of this is related to the African-American experience of slavery.

            When you think about it, somebody who is a slave does not have the luxury of resting when they are tired or sick.  This is also true of people who are working two or three jobs in order to make ends meet.  “You snooze, you lose” gets played out in all sorts of different ways – including among those who are used as slave labour around the world.  Human beings are not machines that can run at full capacity for days on end, only to be replaced when their systems fail – at least, not in the kin-dom of God.

            There are no prizes for working ourselves into the ground.  There are no excuses for taking advantage of others and working them to death.  There are no provisions made for ignoring the commandment to remember the sabbath and keep it holy.

            Are we to work hard? – Certainly! – with breaks when we need them.  Are we to make the most of our time? – Certainly! – including regular sabbath rest.  Are we to say “yes” to everything that is asked of us? – Probably not.  We all have our limits as to what we can actually handle.

            Now, it is true that some of us have more control over how we spend our time than others.  There are always those things that are not within our control.  I always think of Jesus when he invited his disciples to come with him for a retreat (Mk. 6:30-46).  When they arrived at the “deserted place,” crowds of people were there, seeking Jesus.  Jesus could have said, “I’m tired.  Go away.”, but instead he had compassion on them and fed them.  Then, the disciples were sent away in the boat while Jesus went up the mountain to pray.

            It is not only sabbath rest that is needed, but times of prayer and renewal in the Holy Spirit.  May all of us find rest in the presence of Christ, renewing us for all that is to come.

            In Christ,

            Pastor Lynne Hutchison