From the Desk of the Associate Pastor

Why does God command the Sabbath? And why do we not observe it any longer?

Even when I was a kid, I remember there were still quite a few places closed on Sunday. This does not seem to often be the case today. We could say that it is because our society is less religious and faithful. Yet, can we measure our religiosity by the number of people in the pews or the number of people who profess to be religious? Most importantly, she we be hyper concerned. with this metric and base our spiritual life on numbers? In fact, I would say when it comes to the Sabbath, it is in fact a numbers problem. As a society, we idolize numbers, turning a profit, and the “bottom line”.  I get it. My father is an accountant and has taught me well on matters of personal finance. Productivity, earning your keep, and managing your financial matters is important. However, that cannot be priority number one. If you would permit one more question: are numbers and profits our God, or is it the risen Triune God of the Living?

The Sabbath day of rest was instituted by God to be counter-cultural. The Egyptians were forced by Pharaoh to produce without ceasing. There was to be no rest. The ultimate goal and purpose was to expand the Egyptian empire and watch the “profits” and wealth soar. It is not hard to see how this quickly violates the First and most important commandment that we are to have no other gods. 

I believe in the value of hard work. I know so many of you do as well. I believe in God more. We must all take time to rest and listen to the call of the God who desires nothing more than for us to flourish. Our souls must rest. There is no award for being the most burned out. I speak to myself as much as I speak to the rest of you. Let us work hard at our respective callings but not lose sight of the most important thing, which is our relationship with God, which then pushes us to love our neighbor. Let us work towards a world where all can find rest.

If you need help finding rest because you are taking on too much at church, or if you need a conversation partner in finding better ways of utilizing your Sabbath to more deeply connect with God, or just want to lay down your burden over a cup of coffee, know that Pastor Dan and I are here for you on your walk, as are your siblings in Christ.

In Christ,

Pastor Andrew