ello friends,
Happy August! I know that for many of you, late July and early August is bringing Covid. I know many people who have, had, or are recovering from infections. My prayer is for full recovery for all who are sick. Take care of yourselves!
This weekend I’m continuing to look at the book by Walter Brueggeman titled, “Sabbath as Resistance: Say NO to the CULTURE OF NOW.”
This week the chapter is titled “Resistance to Anxiety.” I love that title because I think that faith is one of the best ways we can resist an anxiety.
Sabbath is a tool for this resistance. For Brueggemann, the Sabbath is the hinge commandment in the 10 Commandments, with the first three being about our relationship to God, then the Sabbath, and then the rest being about our relationships to one another. In this context, Sabbath is not something that we do for God, but rather it is something that God gave to us. It’s a gift of grace. Unfortunately, we don’t always understand that that way.
Brueggeman wrote:
“It is unfortunate that in U.S. society, largely out of a misunderstood Puritan heritage, Sabbath has gotten enmeshed in legalism and moralism and blue laws and life-denying practices that contradict the freedom-bestowing intention of Sabbath.”
The author goes on to talk about how we are not really able to be present for our neighbors, really able to be in community, if we are living in anxiety, especially if the anxiety of life consumes us. But when we take the Sabbath, when we truly rest, we become aware that “life does not consist of frantic production and consumption that reduces everyone else to threat and competitor."
Brueggemann concludes the chapter with one of my favorite passages from scripture. He writes that, “it is no wonder that Jesus invited his disciples out of the anxiety system“ with this passage from Matthew’s gospel (6:25-31).
Jesus said, “therefore, I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or your or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’”
That is one of my favorite passages about how to live today instead of worrying about tomorrow. This passage is also an invitation to fully experience Sabbath rest as the gift it was intended to be. I hope you can find ways to rest, and to let go of whatever anxiety grips you
I’m also wondering, "what might it look like to rest from those things that give us anxiety as a congregation?” As always I would love to hear from you.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Nancy
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