This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
One of my favorite times is morning coffee with my wife, Jennifer. We almost have it down to a science.
The alarms go off and we stumble across the hall and get the boys up for school. As they are getting ready, we head down to the kitchen. Jennifer starts breakfast and I start the coffee. I know this sounds like a very unfavorable arrangement for her. However, in my defense, our morning coffee is very labor intensive; it requires not only grinding of the beans and pouring them into the French press, but boiling of the water in the teapot, steeping the freshly ground beans, pouring my wife's creamer into her cup, and cutting the grass-fed butter. (Yes! Butter is delicious in coffee!)
Usually, the two of us can sit back for a couple of quiet minutes before the boys descend on breakfast. It is a bit of Sabbath we rejoice in together and a simple reminder that as powerful as Sabbath is when practiced individually, it is even better shared in community.
It has been over five years since I was first exposed to the idea of church-wide Sabbath; the idea that Sabbath is a divine gift not just for individuals, but for communities. In overly-programmed lives and churches everywhere where there is always more on the list than in the day, Sabbath is a reminder that this is indeed the day that the Lord has made, and we should rejoice and be glad, not stressed and exhausted, in it.
Over the last couple of months, there have been a few individuals who have reached out for more information on the idea. One individual was challenged by the thought of practicing Sabbath together and was excited to dig deeper into the idea. I was thrilled to talk to the staff of a church committed to the idea and wrestling with what church-wide Sabbath would look like in their setting.
It was very encouraging for me to talk to these individuals about this idea that captured my heart so many years ago. And it was convicting for me to carve out just a little more time for my morning coffee.
May you always find many blessings in your cup ,
Geoff
The alarms go off and we stumble across the hall and get the boys up for school. As they are getting ready, we head down to the kitchen. Jennifer starts breakfast and I start the coffee. I know this sounds like a very unfavorable arrangement for her. However, in my defense, our morning coffee is very labor intensive; it requires not only grinding of the beans and pouring them into the French press, but boiling of the water in the teapot, steeping the freshly ground beans, pouring my wife's creamer into her cup, and cutting the grass-fed butter. (Yes! Butter is delicious in coffee!)
Usually, the two of us can sit back for a couple of quiet minutes before the boys descend on breakfast. It is a bit of Sabbath we rejoice in together and a simple reminder that as powerful as Sabbath is when practiced individually, it is even better shared in community.
It has been over five years since I was first exposed to the idea of church-wide Sabbath; the idea that Sabbath is a divine gift not just for individuals, but for communities. In overly-programmed lives and churches everywhere where there is always more on the list than in the day, Sabbath is a reminder that this is indeed the day that the Lord has made, and we should rejoice and be glad, not stressed and exhausted, in it.
Over the last couple of months, there have been a few individuals who have reached out for more information on the idea. One individual was challenged by the thought of practicing Sabbath together and was excited to dig deeper into the idea. I was thrilled to talk to the staff of a church committed to the idea and wrestling with what church-wide Sabbath would look like in their setting.
It was very encouraging for me to talk to these individuals about this idea that captured my heart so many years ago. And it was convicting for me to carve out just a little more time for my morning coffee.
May you always find many blessings in your cup ,
Geoff
Church Stopping. Less doing. More being.
