Reading
“Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Reflection
On Sunday, we welcomed guest speaker Julian Reid, who spoke about racial reconciliation and shared about his ministry Notes of Rest. At first glance, the idea of rest has little to do with social issues like race, poverty, and justice. We tend to think of rest and spiritual practices like solitude and Sabbath as individual matters. When we explore the biblical understanding of these practices, though, we find that they are profoundly connected to matters of justice.
We see this connection in the commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. While many of us are familiar with the first line of the commandment, far fewer of us realize that there is much more to Sabbath than avoiding work for 24 hours. Notably, the commandment includes everyone: children, foreigners, slaves, and even livestock. Sabbath is not reserved for people of a certain social class, nor is it only for those who have earned it. Sabbath is a gift, offered freely to all. As Julian shared with us in the “Prayer of Desire” on Sunday, “We are loved because you made us, Not because of what we make.”
This comes directly out of Israel’s experience of slavery in Egypt. This commandment is unique among the Ten Commandments in that it provides the rationale for keeping the Sabbath: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” In other words, they were to keep the Sabbath as a reminder that God delivered them from slavery, where they were forbidden to ever take a day off.
Today, many people are still denied the opportunity to rest. It is striking to me each year on Labor Day that many of the laborers who are paid the least have to work on the holiday, while people like me who work in offices have the day off. Access to rest is still often denied to those who need it most. As we experience God’s rest, may we also work to ensure that those who are denied rest might gain the space to enjoy God’s rest as well.
Prayer
“Prayer of Desire” by Julian Davis Reid
God, I want to rest in you.
God, we want to rest in you.
God, we want them to rest in you.
We are loved because you made us,
Not because of what we make.
Help us hear your sound.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
