Barbara Brown Taylor has written a lovely piece about the Sabbath for Christian Century. Those who know me or who pay attention probably know that I'm a fan of keeping Sabbath, although my observance isn't as strict or as consistant as Taylor's seems to be. She has a beautiful way of putting things, and a compelling suggestion: that we all observe Sabbath as a community as a form of resistance. I especially like this part:
If we paid as much attention to Leviticus 25 as we do to Leviticus 18, then we might discover that God is at least as interested in economics as in sex.
and this: One day each week I lived as if all my work were done. I lived as if the kingdom had come and when I did the kingdom came, for 25 hours at least.
I love the idea of one day a week being a sort of imperfect incarnatin of the kingdom that is already-not yet here.
About Me
- bethany
- I'm a Professor of Communication. I tend to blog about these things: christianity, politics, culture, academia, art, writing, music, and things I read.
3 comments:
I think the best decision I have made since I began college was to keep the Sabbath. The pause, the rest, the breath of one day showed me God's grace incarnate in time. I probably couldn't have kept up the blizzard of WA work without that weekly practice. The hardest part of Sabbath-keeping was Friday and Saturday nights, when everyone else was having fun, and I was busy at work in my room. It's hard to run on a rhythm that's different than everyone else's. But I keep eating after 6pm and resting on Sundays, stubbornly standing against mainstream American culture as best I can.
As I read that last sentence, I sense a hint of individualism. BBT wrote in her article that Sabbath-keepping should never be practiced alone. It's good to know, Bethany, that you are doing the same thing. We should take a Sunday afternoon stroll through downtown Holland. But where is everyone else?
My all time favorite book is _The Sabbath_ by Abraham Heschel. Some of my favorite quotes:
"Discipline is a reminder of adjacency to eternity."
"The likeness of God can be found in time, which is eternity in disguise."
"The seventh day is like a palace in time with a kingdom for all. It is not a date but an atmosphere."
"The Sabbath is a bride, and its celebration is like a wedding."
"The Sabbath is an example of the world to come."
"Creation is the language of God, time is his song, and things of space the consonants in the song. To sanctify time is to sing the vowels in unison with him."
"Eternity utters a day."
And lots more.....
two faves on this topic:
mudhouse sabbath by lauren f. winner
sabbath: finding rest, renewwal and delight in our everyday lives by wayne mueller
and a third, i guess:
keeping the sabbath wholly by marva dawn
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