Sabbath as Resistance Part 1

 Dear ALC Family,

During this week I started reading, “Sabbath as Resistance: Saying NO to the CULTURE OF NOW,” by Walter Brueggemann. You might remember that I mentioned a book of his last week… this is not that book. While searching my home office for a book to take on the road trip I noticed this unread book (as a previous book addict it is not hard to find an unread book!).

I probably bought it originally at a conference that featured Dr. Brueggemann. He is a wonderful speaker. I also love the title; Sabbath as Resistance is so counter to the idea of Sabbath as something you must do to make God happy.

In the first chapter, “Sabbath and the First Commandment,” the author points out that the Fourth Commandment is a hinge between the first three and the last six. This makes sense to me! 

Importantly, most of this chapter explores the idea of commodity and economics and production that demands more and more. For Brueggemann, this is not a new story. Here is a key passage from the chapter:

Thus the Sabbath commandment is drawn into the exodus narrative, for the God who rests is the God who emancipates from slavery and consequently from the work system of Egypt and from the gods of Egypt who require and legitimate that work system… In the narrative imagination of Israel, the gods of Egypt are stand-ins for the gods of several empires. What they all have in common is that they are confiscator gods who demand endless produce and who authorize endless systems of production that are, in principle, insatiable.

For Brueggemann, the loss experienced in the demands for production, or doing and doing and doing, is the opportunity for neighborliness.

It’s a recognition that business and always doing and never resting harms our ability to be present for one another.

I would add that rest is necessary for us to be fully present for ourselves.

Ultimately the way to think about the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods…”

commandment for Sabbath is to contemplate those things that take away our ability to rest alongside our God who also rested. For me, the Sabbath (and lots of other commands) is for our own good. It is the primary form of self-care!

Next week we’ll look at “Sabbath as Resistance to Anxiety.” I’m looking forward to this chapter. As always, I would love to hear your own thoughts regarding the ideas explored here.

Pastor Nancy