Sabbath and the Rhythm of Creation

— Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 —

There’s something kind of providential about lecturing on Sabbath the day after Labor Day. Today I’ll be discussing with my students the Sabbath and the rhythms of creation.

I do this one day after reading a psychologist explain that Sunday morning for many people is the most depressing time of the week. They’re in motion all week long, in either work or play, and then suddenly they don’t know what to do with themselves. I couldn’t help but hum Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down” as I read this because the song squares up lyrically with this research exactly.

Whatever you believe the connection between Lord’s Day and Sabbath (and I do think the Lord’s Day is a Christian Sabbath), perhaps one aspect of God’s good creation our neighbors fail to see from us is our joy in the rhythms of the week. Do we labor six days, picturing the creative zeal of God? Do we joyously mark out the eighth day as a time of feasting and celebration?

Maybe if our neighbors saw us in a weekly Easter holiday in which consumption is proven not to be the root of human existence, they’d be more curious about the final Rest to which we point.

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3 Responses to “Sabbath and the Rhythm of Creation”

  1. Kat September 9th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    I love the title of this post. “Sabbath and the Rhythm of Creation.” It really does have a rhythm, and God created it this way, very specific, almost like a beautiful mix between a scientist and an artist.
    I have a question though: What do you mean by ‘Christian Sabbath.’ According to Scriptures, there’s only one Sabbath.

    Gen.2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.”
    I agree on the final Rest that you speak of, it is a beautiful thing. There are scientific evidences that suggest that we are at our most restful state on the seventh day, or Saturday (Sabbath).
    Also, Jesus considered himself Lord of the Sabbath. He also kept the Sabbath as his day of rest.(Yet, he was not a legalist like the pharisees and priests of his day) He kept it because it meant so much more to Him than just “a day to keep rules”
    It is/was special to him because His Father hallowed it, blessed it and rested on it. He kept it for His love of the Father and as an example to us, to rest our mind, body and soul upon the Savior.

  2. Kendall Adams September 9th, 2009 at 6:19 pm

    How did the Sabbath lecture go?

    I am sure you had the following type of questions asked.

    If you believe that Sunday is the Christian’s Sabbath, do you believe that the Sabbath laws apply?

    What about after attending morning church service:
    Do you believe it is OK to eat out on Sunday?
    Do you believe it is OK to wash your car, watch a ball game or go fishing?

  3. Robert Hall September 10th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    I believe the sabbath laws were, in part at least, designed to show us just what it means to enter God’s rest - that is resting from our works.