My Sabbath For Others

Still wandering in the desert with the Israelites via the Book of Exodus. One thing that caught my eye was in chapter 23.

"For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed."

This is not the original institution of Sabbath, but it sheds some different light on the purpose of rest. It takes into consideration that when I'm in "go mode," there are ripples that go out to those around me creating their own "go response." When I rest, others (and even creation) are given space to rest as well.

So my Sabbath is, in one sense, for others as well as for myself. If I refuse to find a time of rest, I am refusing rest for others as well. What others? The impact is greatest for those closest to me - at home, at work, etc. It lessens as relationships move outward. If on my established day off I am called by work with a matter that keeps me from rest, the caller has not just robbed me, but my family and my friends.

Sabbath is never urgent, so if life is constantly lived by urgency - there will be no rest; for me or those around me.

Listening, Obedience and Our Agendas

My small group is studying John's Gospel, and we are nearing the end. As Judas and the soldiers come for Jesus, there is an interesting exchange. Jesus asks them, "Who have you come for?" They reply, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus says, "I am he," and the men all back up and fall down.

Later, when they begin to move toward Jesus, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of one of the guards. Jesus, mending the man's ear, tells Peter to put away his sword for "shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" Not long after this exchange, Peter - who seemed so ready to take on the soldiers in a fight - denies even knowing Jesus three times; once to a little girl.

Two things are happening here. First, Peter's agenda FOR Jesus has not gone away. Earlier when Jesus had spoken about being shamed and killed Peter had told him that this could not be for the anointed one. Jesus had responded, "Get behind me Satan. You have the things of the world on your mind and not the things of heaven." Peter's agenda for Jesus was to WIN; win as he (Peter) could fathom winning. Peter, bolstered by the sight of the soldiers falling backward at Jesus' mere words, is ready to bring about this agenda with the sword. Second, once Peter understands that winning looks a lot like losing - being shamed and killed - he really isn't up for Jesus' agenda. And so...he denies it.

I find this is so applicable to life. Even after a long journey with Christ, I am so ready to draw my sword at the first sight of MY agenda not being fulfilled. In other words, I am so ready to try to resume control when circumstances make it clear that God may not be on my agenda FOR Him. Where are you drawing the sword of control?

A Spiritual Look at Napoleon Dynamite

I know, the movie is old, so I"m irrelevant. Oh well. Here is pretty much the sum total...La Fonda is the Holy Spirit.

Testing or Teasing

As a parent, there are times I've put obstacles in the way of my kids, or put them into difficult situations in order for them to learn how to overcome; or perhaps to teach them that they can trust me. A simple example is lifting one of them out of the pool where they were comfortably bobbing up and down, and putting them on the side of the pool only to say "jump to me."

Now, I suppose to some people this could be construed as "teasing" a kid, but I think it is testing. There are subtle differences and not so subtle differences. Most notably, teasing is an attempt to tear another down, while testing is an attempt to help the other person grow and be strengthened.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites move on to a place called Rephidim "according to the commandment of the Lord." The next line tells us, "but there was no water for the people to drink." Isn't that interesting that God would lead his people to a place where there is no water and they began to thirst. He lifted them right up out of the pool so they might jump to him.

Of course HE'S there for them with water in order to increase their trust in him. This reminds me of when Jesus commands the disciples to get in the boat late in the evening and cross to the other side of the lake, only to have the boat and his disciples end up in a massive struggle against wind and waves.

For those who think that if we are struggling, we must somehow be outside the will of God, I would think again.

What Is It?

In my reading, I've followed the Israelites into the wilderness; and the grumbling has begun. I just read the account of the manna - bread from heaven. Two things struck me about this episode.

First, the Israelites got what they were looking for...food. But it didn't look anything like what they expected. So much so that they called it "manna" which means "what is it." Second, many of them weren't happy with the amount they were given, even though it was always enough. Whether it was the first recorded leftover, or hunting around for more "what is it" on a day of rest, hoarding of one kind or another had set in.

So I'm wondering, where are we receiving blessings from God that are sufficient for our needs, but we don't recognize it, or we are trying to hoard it?