Text: Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for
the Sabbath.”
Question: How is the Sabbath an important understanding for our lives?
Proposition: The Sabbath is a great teaching of our faith that has exciting
possibilities to help us live healthier, more exciting, spiritually driven lives.
SERMON:
Sniff!!! Sniff!!! Sniff!!!
Can you smell those sweet rolls. I sure can!----They are hot –right out of the
oven. I fact I can almost taste them right now!!!!!!!! Well standing in this pulpit I
can, I know I can. Because they are the sweet rolls Mark Bayert, your former
Pastor, shared with me one Easter.
But there’s more to the story.
Mark had a practice of Lenten fasting. For him it was giving up sweet delicacies
for six weeks before Easter. Then on the Saturday before Easter he would prepare the most delicious sweet rolls which were baked and then consumed at breakfast right after the Easter Sunday Service. That’s what the word means “break fast.” It was very a special experience and tradition for him that he felt sharpened his senses which allowed his faith to grow.
I know it will now be hard for you to get your mind off of those rolls and back on
fasting. So maybe fasting is not your thing. However I would like to suggest that
Lent provides an opportunity of reflection and soul searching. It is a time for the
Sabbath. Let me explain what I mean.
I. There is a Biblical Basis for Sabbath.
There are many referrals to the Sabbath in the Old Testament. I will only refer to
a couple.
The first and earliest referral is in Genesis 2:3. This is at the end of the first
Creation story. God rested! Thus the seventh day became the Sabbath. the end
day. Then the day of completion transitioned into the day of rest.
Genesis 2:1-3. “Thus the heavens and earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done and
God rested on the seventh day from all the work that God had done.”
In Exodus while Moses is wandering in the desert with the Israelites God delivers
the Ten Commandments. The fourth one reads: “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.” Now we have a clearer message of a day of rest that focuses on it being a day of worship. This soon turned into a legalistic interpretation on how “The Sabbath” the Holy day should be spent. In the rather usual behavior of
human beings it did not take long for the religious leaders to figure out all sorts of narrow rules about how this day should be honored: What you could eat, How far you could travel, No work should be done.
Carolyn, my wife, still talks about the restrictions in her family home on a Sunday. What games would be played--- no cards, no loud noise or loud music!
Then along came Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all have the same account that I read a few minutes ago. The passage has to do with the
Pharisees finding fault with the Disciples plucking a few heads of grain as they
walked through the field on a Sabbath Day. To the Pharisees this was breaking
the commandment by not keeping the day “Holy.” Plucking the grain was
determined to be work.
Jesus response to the Pharisees was: “The Sabbath was made for humankind,
not humankind for the Sabbath.”
II. Jesus Opens the Door to a Larger Meaning for Sabbath.
Some years ago our daughter-in law-Sarah presented Carolyn with a book
entitled “Sabbath”, by Wayne Muller. After reading the book Carolyn handed it to
me and said you are really going to like this book. With a wife and a daughter-inlaw’s recommendation what choice did I have? Right! I sat down almost
immediately and read the book. Since that time we have purchased and given
copies to relatives and friends.
Why you ask? We did it because Mr. Muller has captured the core message of
one of the great teachings not only in the Bible but also in other religious
traditions.
“Sabbath” in the original Hebrew usage meant the end or completion of something. Like the end of creation on the seventh day. However the usage of
Sabbath has expanded into a much broader usage. It is used to define a break, a
rest a time of renewal. It is used professionally to describe a break in a College
Professor’s life. That is a Sabbatical Year. Your Pastoral Calls here at Oak Grove
delineate a Sabbatical to be offered after five years on the job.
Today I want to address the word Sabbath as it applies to each one of us in a
much more immediate and useful way.
III. Sabbath – Is Finding Rest, Delight and Renewal in our Busy Lives
I want to expand our thinking about Sabbath to include all that time and all those
activities that allow us the opportunity for rest, renewal and delight. It is time
spent any time on any day that allows us to get more in touch with ourselves. It is time spent—any time on any day that gives us a sense of being in the presence
of the Supreme Being- God.
Today I want us to take a look at this concept as we reflect on how we experience Lent. It is so easy for us to over program ourselves and our families
that we zoom right through this special holy season without taking the time to
breath deeply and take in the opportunities at hand.
Recently I heard the Program Director of Clearwater Forest, our beautiful camp
and conference facility in northern Minnesota, tell about his experience with a
group of middle school children. One afternoon he asked them to just walk out a
little distance into the woods and find a place to sit down. “While you are there,”
He told them, “just be still for about a half hour and discover the things that are
around you.”
When they gathered back together these young people were ecstatic about what
they had discovered. One mentioned a deer which had walked by right in from of
him. Another mentioned a osprey that had flow by and landed in a tree so close
she thought she could climb up and touch it. A third youth mentioned a fox that
had run swiftly though his clearing. Another mentioned the wildflower that was
right at her feet.
These youth had a ”Sabbath” time. They had stopped long enough to really get
in touch with themselves and the nature around them. I don’t have to tell you how easy it us to move from that point to talk about the dynamic wonder of our
Creator God.
As some of you know one of the things I have enjoyed the very most in my life is
sailing. For 16 years we lived on Lake Minnetonka. When I was a few years
younger I loved to go out by myself during the week when I had the lake almost
all to my self. I loved the feel of the wind thrusting, “Free Spirit”, our sailboat
through water. When the sails were trimmed just right and the wind strong
enough you could hear the center board whistle as it cut though the water and
the waves. It doesn’t get much better than that! My “Sabbath” – in touch with
Nature - In touch with God—In touch with myself.
So maybe for you it is sitting by the fire with a good book.
So maybe for you it is simply sitting looking at the falling snow, or soon the
greening grass or the early flowers of Spring.
So maybe for you it is a cross country ski trip on one of our many trails.
So maybe for you it is a walk in the Forest or at the U of M. Landscape
Arboretum. It can be a spiritual experience seeing Spring break forth.
If all else fails you might try a few minutes of Bible reading and prayer.
You know what works for you and your family. I urge you to take advantage of
one of the great theological teachings of all time the Sabbath. Sabbath--a time for rest, renewal and delight. Lent is a time to re-attach with the meaning of Sabbath and refresh your spiritual pulse.
CONCLUSION:
In a few minutes we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. In the quiet moments
of that meal I urge you to use this time as a “Sabbath” moment.
In preparation for that meal I want to lead you through a simple exercise.
Several times each week Carolyn and I are involved in an exercise program
called Silver Sneakers. It is a program that helps keep this mature body moving.
One of our trainers, Holly Busse, ends each session with a ritual that I want to do
with you right now. It may help trigger a Sabbath for you.
Sit up tall in your seat. Put your two feet square on the floor. Rest your hands on
your thighs. Now close your eyes. In this quietness:
Think of two things that make you happy about yourself!
Think of two persons you care about!
Think of some issue in the world that commands your attention!
Open your eyes. Look around you. How blessed we are!
When you leave here today have the best day of your life.
Amen
