Rhythms of Sabbath and Rest: Toward an Ancient and Timely Practice
One of the oldest, but perhaps also most misunderstood concepts in the Bible is sabbath. The roots for our understanding of sabbath come from first the chapters of Genesis, where Scripture teaches that after creating sun and stars, animals and humans, God created rest. From the beginning, God planned for creation to experience rhythms of work and rest, productivity and delight.
This summer, we want to ask our own “sabbath questions.” How do I and my family honor the sabbath and keep it holy? What does rest and restoration look like in my life? Do I more fully participate in the holy sabbath-keeping of Scripture, or the “addicted to hurry” model of our culture? Jesus seemed to reject the way that the Pharisees and others observed sabbath…should we ignore this Old Testament concept?
Over the next 17 weeks, we will ask these and other related questions together in worship. Like the pattern that Scripture teaches, we will explore these ideas in a rhythmic way. Pastor Matt will preach two weeks on May 31 and June 7, then several other preachers including Pastor Cristina will address the topic in the middle of the summer (July 12-August 16), and then Matt will readdress the topic for two weeks on September 13 and 20. Rhythms of Sabbath and Rest, in our church and in our lives. Below are the first two weeks, so begin praying now to hear God’s call for us to be a sabbath community, in these coming weeks and months:
May 31: Sabbath as Communal Trust (Exodus 20.1–17)
June 7: Jesus and Sabbath: A Failed Experiment or Misunderstood Concept? (Luke 5.36–6.11)
June 14: Reframe Your Thinking
June 21: A New and Very Old Word (John 14:27a; 20:19–21)
June 28: Jesus is Our Shalom (Ephesians 2:14)
July 5: The Gospel of Shalom (Luke 8:1–3; Mark 15:40–42; John 20:1–3, 20:11–18)