Here is a link if you didn’t get to hear this week’s sermon: (Sabbath and Workism)

Good Afternoon Chapel Hillers….

As promised, I wanted to send you the next step and some practical tools for practicing the Sabbath.

Sermon title:  Sabbath and Workism

My Next Step

• Start practicing Sabbath – it’s not about the day or time….start with a few minutes, or few hours and gradually move to 24 hours and see what happens to your soul.

Scripture used this morning….

• ⁸ Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Exodus 20
• ² I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ³ you shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20
• ¹⁵ Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5
• ²⁷ Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; ²⁸ so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” Mark 2
• Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 – NIV)

Three things to remember about the Sabbath….

1. Sabbath is not about keeping God happy!
2. Many have interpreted “keep it holy” to mean don’t do anything that is remotely enjoyable or fun!
3. Keeping the Sabbath is not about the rules and regulations about what constitutes work and what doesn’t.

These are the quotes from this morning’s sermon….

• “The decline of traditional faith in America has coincided with an explosion of new atheisms. Some people worship beauty, some worship political identities, and others worship their children. But everybody worships something. And workism is among the most potent of the new religions competing for congregants. What is workism? It is the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and one’s life purpose.” “Workism is making Americans miserable” – Atlantic magazine – Derek Thompson
• “It is not resting from work, nor is it resting up for work. It is resting with and unto God.” JD Walt

4 “Truths” about Sabbath-keeping

1. Sabbath is not a reward for hard work.
2. Sabbath is a reminder that our work remains incomplete!
3. Sabbath is a day that moves us from production to presence.
4. Sabbath points us to the deeper rest we need

Books I used for this sermon….

• “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly” – Marva Dawn
• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” – Pete Scazerro
• The many writings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks – former chief rabbi for the UK

Spiritual Practice – “Sabbath” – 24 hour period of not doing anything you have to do. You do only what brings you life, light and love.

Remember….The brilliance of Sabbath keeping is that it is not so much about our keeping the Sabbath as it is the Sabbath keeping us!

Make sure you do these four things as you celebrate the Sabbath.  The focus of these four things is to remember….remember you are God’s child. You are created in the image and likeness of God. God in Jesus has treasured you, redeemed you, liberated you from all forms of bondage including workism.

1. Cease – what teaches us most that we are not the God of the Universe! We have been created with limits and limitations.
2. Resting – what restores us most
3. Embracing – what we value most
4. Feasting – what we enjoy most

Have a blessed week!
Pastor Jeff