Remember the Sabbath

Welcome to our first CUCC blog. I am excited to be having this conversation about Sabbath with you here in cyber space. Along with reading, please feel free to join the conversation. This first entry doesn't exactly correspond with the reading schedule. We had some technical difficulties here in the office, so today's entry is a composite of some of my initial thoughts on the reading. Tomorrow, we'll be on schedule. Now...down to business: Sabbath.

This is the 3rd or 4th time I have read Wayne Muller's book. Each time I read it, I find it to be absolutely captivating. Muller reminds us that this ridiculous pace we keep as Americans is actually a form of violence.

Our schedules will kill us. Maybe that's why God included "Remember the Sabbath" as one of the commandments -- it's THAT important. I was really captivated by this notion preparing for Sunday's message. Forgetting to rest is as big an offense as killing someone? Really, God?

Really, God says to us as we find ourselves drained, exhausted and wondering if this is what burn out feels like. We forget that rest is essential to life. We forget that rest is a wonderful, blessed part of being. We forget and so, Muller points out, God says, "Remember."

So, I wonder, as you have begun thinking about the role rest has played, or has not played, in your life, have you been good at remembering the Sabbath?