Daily Office - Discovering the Rhythm of Sabbath Pt. 10

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading—Deuteronomy 5: 12-15

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox; your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath Day.

3) Devotional
 Sabbath was intended to shape our lives as a liberated people. The fourth commandment calls for free time for people who had been enslaved.

            "The Deuteronomy reason for Sabbath-keeping is that our ancestors in Egypt went for four hundred years without a vacation (Deuteronomy 5:15). Never a day off. The consequence: they were no longer considered persons but slaves. Hands. Work units. Not persons created in the image of God but equipment for making brick and building pyramids. Humanity was defaced." --Eugene Peterson

Sabbath-keeping is meant to be an experience of the truth that you are not a “doing machine” but a deeply loved son or daughter of God. God is not interested in simply using you to get work done: He delights in you. And he provides free time once a week so that you might relish your release from oppression and slavery.

4) Questions to Consider
How might the truth that “God doesn’t want to use you but enjoy you” give you a vision for celebrating the Sabbath?

5) Prayer
LORD, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing that I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these minutes before you, all I can say is “Thank you.” In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

Daily Office - Discovering the Rhythm of Sabbath Pt. 9*

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading—Psalm 23:1-3

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

            he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

            for his name’s sake.

3) Devotional

The Sabbath teaches grace because it connects us experientially to the basic truth that nothing we do will earn God’s love. As long as we are using our gifts to serve others, experiencing joy in our work along with the toil, we are always in danger of believing that our actions trigger God’s love for us. Only in stopping, really stopping, do we teach our hearts and souls that we are both loved apart from what we do.

During a day of rest, we have the chance to take a deep breath and look at our lives. God is at work every minute of our days, yet we seldom notice. Noticing requires intentional stopping and the Sabbath provides that opportunity. On the Sabbath we can take a moment to see the beauty of a maple leaf, created with great care by our loving Creator . . .

Without time to stop, we cannot notice God’s hand in our lives, practice thankfulness, step outside our culture’s values or explore our deepest longing. Without time to rest, we will seriously undermine our ability to experience God’s unconditional love and acceptance. The Sabbath is a gift whose blessings cannot be found anywhere else.

--Lynne Baab

4) Question to Consider

            How will you allow God, this week to lead you to the “quiet waters” of rest so that you experience his unconditional love and acceptance?

5) Prayer

LORD, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

*From "Begin the Journey with the Daily Office" by Pete Scazzero