Sounds of Silence
The Sabbath is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to Exodus 20:8 “…You and your family are to remember the Sabbath Day; set it apart, and keep it holy…” It was a capital offense in the Old Testament to dishonor the Sabbath day. Today, in many Jewish communities, Sabbaths are still truly set apart. In Christian circles, not so much. Maybe this is due in part to Pauline theology (see Colossians 2:16-17 or Romans 14:5) Paul didn’t exactly gush over the Law, the Ten Commandments, in these texts as part of the Christian way of life. I find this kind’a odd because he wrote to the church at Philippi saying: “…I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses…” Regardless of Paul’s seemingly mixed message, it seems western Christians had an opportunity, based on Paul’s epistles, to march to their own drummer; overlooking parts of the Mosaic Law, and move away from Sabbath-keeping. Understandable, the Sabbath has nothing to do with salvation, because the Christian message is one of liberty. But I wonder what the western church would look like if we Christians were just a little more diligent and honored the Sabbath, setting it apart and keeping it holy? Maybe we give an hour or so on Sunday and at church, but often we do so while looking at our watch impatiently, not really acknowledging that we’re living in a state of constant semi-attention, just like my youngest Corgi. Truth be told, we’re more tuned into the the sound of voices, music, traffic, or the generalized white noise of the happenings around us than to Sabbath-keeping. Keeping (or not) the Sabbath Day maybe a matter of spiritual freedom, but I feel that it’s the perfect time to refresh; to pause; to rest physically and mentally while practicing silence, letting the sounds of silence morph into a deepening Godly gratitude. It maybe that in Sabbath rest and silence and Godly focus is when God speaks volumes. I imagine, His words never running out … and I want to listen...#pkes
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