Serving God, Saving the Planet Guidebook by J. Matthew Sleeth M.D

Author:J. Matthew Sleeth, M.D. [Sleeth, J. Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-310-68873-0
Publisher: HarperChristian Resources
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

A CHANGED HEART = A CHANGED LIFE

Of all the steps our family has taken, honoring the Sabbath has given us the most joy. Until the last few decades, America still rested one day a week; a return to this custom could decrease pollution by 10 to 14 percent. Our family avoids driving on Sundays except to go to church, and we don’t eat out or make purchases. Instead, we read, talk, listen to music, pray, and go for walks. When we miss a Sabbath day, we feel the negative impact throughout the week. When we honor the Sabbath, we honor our Creator with renewed faith and spirit.

Setting aside a day of rest must be intentional, but there’s no real formula. Jesus says that it’s the spirit of the law, not the letter, which matters. You may choose to abstain from certain activities on your Sabbath day — no shopping, no Internet, no emailing, no eating out. Or you may choose to spend your Sabbath reading aloud as a family, playing board games, or going on a walk. Once you start observing the Sabbath intentionally, you won’t ever want to give it up. The Sabbath way of life can make every day a holy day.

How do you start? Preparing for the Sabbath takes forethought. If you don’t want to shop on the Sabbath or you don’t want to clean, you need to make sure you’ve done those things ahead of time. If you don’t want work to interfere, you have to wrap things up in advance, let colleagues know that you don’t answer calls or email on the Sabbath, and close up shop.

Our family cleans the house the day before the Sabbath; it takes about forty minutes for us to clear up clutter, dust, vacuum, scrub bathrooms, and clean the kitchen. We’ve been doing this for years. The reward is a relaxed home, with (almost) everything in its place.

Many people begin their Sabbath day at church in fellowship with God’s people. However, if you are involved in running the nursery, worship team, choir, worship service, or Sunday school — if, in essence, you “work” at church on Sundays — consider taking an additional day for your day of rest.

Many families, unfortunately, end their Sabbath the moment they leave the church parking lot. Though it might be tempting to stop at the store on the way home from church, avoid running errands on the Sabbath. Our family tries not to engage in any commerce; God wants all people to have a chance to rest. It is often minimum-wage earners, today’s “menservants and maidservants,” who have no choice but to work on weekends.

We need a day when we not only cease working, but also cease worrying about not working. Try putting away anything that reminds you of work. Shut down the computer. Don’t answer email. Place your wallet, cell phone, PDA, and unpaid bills in a drawer. Close the door to your home office. Reminders of chores left undone, calls that need to be returned, and long to-do lists will interfere with the rest that God wants us to enjoy.

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