Community Sabbath (Week One): Bethesda Covenant Church, New York City

(Photo from www.freeimages.com #1531720)

"A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to you; in it you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of itself, nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines.  For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat what it yields out of the field. (Leviticus 25:11-12)

A few years ago, I read about a church in New York City that did something "radical and countercultural, something so outside the norm of ordinary church behavior and tradition that most who hear of this practice seem to find it either brilliant or highly suspect." (Amy Rohler and Adam Rohler, “A Communal Sabbath; One Church’s Annual Practice of Rest.”Congregations (Spring 2009): 33-34)

What was this unbelievable thing they did? They stopped. There was no sermon, no Sunday School, no committees, no music, and no services at all for three whole weeks! 

At the time, I was a busy full-time pastor of a busy little church as well as a full-time husband and father of three young boys.  When I read about what Bethesda Covenant Church did every year in the sultry dog days of August, I was thinking "brilliant" and "highly suspect" all at the same time.  It was brilliant because I knew in the weary church where I was serving, it would change everything.  It was suspect because I just couldn't imagine anyone actually pulling it off when there was always just so much to do.   

So, I poured over the article again and again. And again I was continually struck by the gift that was granted to this brave congregation.  With no ecclesiastical responsibilities, they could rediscover that the One that invented the church was not a cosmic taskmaster driving them to speed up and do more, but a gentle shepherd who was encouraging them to rest and drink deeply. Amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City, a gentle move of the Spirit and a courageous act of faith allowed parishioners to recharge their batteries, be renewed for God's vision for the church, and enjoy the diverse treasures of God's kingdom all around them. Recharge. Renew. Enjoy...it sounded like certain death!  "Our church would never survive!" I cried.  Then, I was reminded that, just maybe, death was part of the plan:

Barbara Brown Taylor on Sabbath

http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/sabbath-a-practice-in-death

We do need to die to ourselves. But with the Gospel, there is the promise of new life after death.  This doesn't mean that we will have more of what we started with. It means that God will give us a whole new quality of life; something we could never have imagined on our own.

In my research for this article, I was saddened to read about the death of Bethesda Covenant Church. After 130 years of daring worship, the church closed it's doors.  But not without breathing a new rhythm of life into her parishioners and into her city and into countless others inspired by a brilliant and suspect interlude in the midst of incessant activity. 

Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.

Ripple Effect

"But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." (Isaiah 65:18) 

Somebody once compared the lives that many of us lead to a stone skipping across a pond. "We spin round and round, skipping across the surface from one spot to another until we finally run out of steam, and sink.  Our lives," he went on, "should be more like children in the midst of a cannon ball; enrapt in joy, plunging completely and safely in to the love and grace of God and from that center, divine, joy-soaked ripples move out into all areas of our lives and into the world around us."

For the last year, I've shared our family's attempt to embrace the joy at the heart of God through the intentional practice of Sabbath.  We certainly haven't perfected the art of Sabbath-celebration, but we have made a start at stopping and a plunge into joy.  On Friday nights, one of our boys will usually ask, "What are we doing for Sabbath this week?"  It has become part of our family routine and it will be interesting to see how it plays out over the course of this next year.

It will also be interesting to see the ripple effects of this cannon ball emanating into the rest of our lives.

How will our personal practice of Sabbath affect our daily routines such as school, and work, and church?  Can we let go of our schoolwork just as readily as we let go of our housework? Will the work get done if we walk away from our job just as it did when we walked away from our lawn? Can our willingness to take a break from church work be as strong a witness as our great deeds of service?

The answer, I believe, is, "Yes!"  But don't take my word for it.

In the next several weeks, I will be highlighting some businesses and some churches that have dared to make Sabbath an important part of their business models and mission statements.  You've heard of some. (eg. Chick fil A, Hobby Lobby) You probably haven't heard of others. (Bethesda Covenant Church, Ed Catmull). Every story is different. Every story is inspiring.  And perhaps in hearing them, we will be encouraged to take the plunge ourselves.  And in taking that plunge, our world will be rocked by more and more of those divine ripples...white-capped reminders of a joyous God who not only rejoices in what is created, but creates it for joy.

Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.

A Year of Sabbaths (Week 52): Unexpected Blessings

(Sam and Will posing outside of North Platte, Nebraska.)

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still." (Exodus 14:14)

The car pictured above is a 2015 Mustang convertible. I'm sorry to say, it is not ours.

The boys pictured above are Sam, age 12 and Will, age 6.  I am very happy to say, they are ours.

The place pictured above is about ten miles west of North Platte, Nebraska. Needless to say, no trees were harmed in the making of this picture.

The reason for the above picture is that our 2004 station wagon broke down on I-70 en route to a rendezvous in Sidney, Nebraska with my parents.  They were taking Sam for a week-long visit at their home in Wyoming - fishing, hiking, driving a tractor and seeing some long lost cousins. Sidney was half-way.

The breakdown took place on Saturday night, just east of North Platte. Our car was towed to  town, but there was no place in town that could fix the car until Monday and we still had 120 miles to go to Sidney.  We had to rent a car, but the only rental car available in town was the Mustang.  "Beggars can't be choosers," I told the rental agent.  He laughed.   Three hours after our car trouble, we were wheeling our way to Sidney in style!

My parents were waiting for us outside the hotel and we were starving.  I ordered some pizza and after a short visit, we were off to sleep.

The next morning, Sam was off to his Wyoming adventure and Will and I were returning to North Platte to wait for the car. Yay...

I wasn't too sure what we would be doing in North Platte all day, but things started to look up when we noticed that there were warm cookies being served in the hotel lobby as we checked in.  Sweet!

Refreshed after a few warm cookies and some ice-cold milk, I asked the hotel manager what she would recommend that father and son do on a Sunday night in North Platte.  "Go to the park and ride the carousel," she said. So that's what we did...we drove to the park and we drove with the top down.

The carousel turned out to be AWESOME! And Will rode round and round and round. Then, the two of us noticed the concession stand.  By now, our cookies and milk had worn off so we each ordered a large soft-serve cone.  Will will be happy to tell you that his cone was much larger than mine!

All of this was okay because by the time we arrived back to the hotel, they were serving late-night pancakes.  Will could only finish one. I had two.

Our unexpected stop in North Platte ended up being a wonderful blessing.  Will and I connected over cookies, ice cream, pancakes, and a cool convertible.  We made some cool memories.  In the same way, this year has been full of unexpected blessings; kayaking trips, waterfalls, movie dates, and adventures in eating.  There have also been a few bumps along the way.  However, I am convinced, now more than ever, that God still does great things when we stop.

Church Stopping. Less doing. More being.

A Year of Sabbaths (Week 51): Pulling on Pants

(Photo by Emily Lucima, www.freeimages.com #1188207)

My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat, 

and my mouth praises Thee with joyful lips, 

when I think of Thee upon my bed, 

and meditate on Thee in the watches of the night;

for Thou hast been my help, 

and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to thee; Thy right hand upholds me. 

(Psalm 63:1-5)

I have a hazy memory of pulling on my mother's pant leg in the grocery store.  I must have been very little because I was eye-level with my mother's shoes and the lower half of her pant leg. I was absolutely convinced I had found her and, because I needed her attention in the cereal aisle, I tugged.  Unfortunately, these were not my mother's pants!  I was mortified and ran away, but I didn't stop.  I kept on pulling on pant leg after pant leg and eventually I found my mother. We connected, and I was so happy!

The same is true of our relationship with God.  There are different pant legs that we can pull on to connect.  Sometimes it is singing praises "with joyful lips".  Sometimes it is thinking about God "on my bed", reading His Word and meditating on God "in the watches of the night", perhaps with a good book.  Sometimes it is giving thanks for God's help when we "rested in the shadow of thy wings".  Sometimes it is one thing. Sometimes it is another.  

Last week, for me, it was attending a leadership conference for business professionals hosted by Willow Creek  Community Church.(www.willowcreek.com/summit). 

To me, it sounded like death. I'm not a business professional and I didn't want to go and I certainly 

didn't want to pay.  However, a good friend was so excited about going that he went on and on about 

how awesome and life-changing this conference had been for him in years past that I didn't feel like I 

could let him down and say, "No."  Furthermore, my wife was going  and I thought that at least it would

be fun to spend two days with her. So I stopped what I was doing, paid my fee, took two vacation

days, and went.  

One of the things that I have been learning about Sabbath is that stopping is only the beginning.  In this

case, stopping meant that I had pulled the pant leg of God.  We connected in ways that were brand new

to me and I was so happy!

Let me be clear. This wasn't the normal way I connected with God.  Usually, I find reading a good book

or attending worship, or listening to music, or kayaking connects me to God.  But, in listening to 

executives of major companies, pastors of giant churches, a prison warden, a CPA, and a comedian, I 

found that God was speaking deep into my heart and I was feasting as with "marrow and fat".  It was 

rich and I am still processing what took place in that encounter.

The Psalmist sings, "My soul clings to thee; they right hand upholds me." I've always known that. Now, 

I have felt it.  It's real and I want more of it. And it all starts with stopping...and sometimes pulling a few

pant legs.

Church Stopping. Less doing. More being.

A Year of Sabbaths (Week 50): Sabbath Within Your Gates

(Photo by Steve Knight, www.freeimages.com #1547724)

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor you male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

(Exodus 20:8-11)

Last weekend, I went to the wedding of a good friend. It was a beautiful and joyous occasion.  He's a great guy and I am really happy for him and for his bride and for their dog. In addition, there were many old friends at the wedding, many I hadn't seen in years. It was great to get caught up and, in some cases, meet their children.  After the wedding, there was supper and cake...no mowing of the lawn and no dishes.  It was a beautiful Sabbath day.

It reminded me that in the command to Sabbath, stopping is just the beginning.  In the original instructions, we see that it is not just a command to "not to". God's command to Sabbath is a subtle nudge for us to remember Creation.    And when we look at the Creation account, we see that God created us for community:

Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish

 in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, 

and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (Genesis 1:26, emphasis mine)

Sabbath involves the whole family...even animals, foreign exchange students, employees, and house staff if you have them. Anyone within your gates.  For someone like me, prone to reclusion, this is sometimes a little bit difficult.  I've been dealing with people all week!  Someone always wants a piece of me.  Sometimes, my perfect idea of Sabbath involves me getting away from everyone and definitely not reaching out and involving others.

However, the reality is that all of us have people in our lives that we have lost contact with, we have become sideways with, and those we just don't know as well as we should.  Sabbath is time for us to put down the paper and pick up the phone and make contact once again.  It's a time when we can bury the hatchet and spread the Balm of Gilead.  It's time for us to load up the kids and drive three hours to the wedding of a good friend and let the dishes soak in the sink and the lawn soak up the sun. Maybe we go to church, come home, sign off from social media, and spend real, face-to-face time with those within our gates.

The goal of Sabbath is not stopping, but stopping is where we begin. It is the launching pad that propels us forward and gives us space to reconnect with those we love, and those that loved us once.  

Church stopping. Less doing. More being.