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Copyright 2005 Rev. Amy B. Freedman
Time was when more people remembered the Sabbath and kept it holy. For Jews, that is from sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday. For Christians, Sunday is the day of worship. Given our Puritan roots here in New England, there were laws regulating moral behavior. People were expected to go to church on Sunday. More than that, people were expected to refrain from immoral behavior. Playing dice, swearing, or working on the Sabbath were grounds for severe punishment. Violators could be publicly shamed for licentious behavior sometimes whipped, branded or even killed. Blue laws are vestiges of our Puritan roots. Only as recently as 1994 could stores in Massachusetts open for business before noon on Sunday. In our state of Rhode Island, the laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sunday were lifted only this past year. The arguments for lifting the blue laws were that they were archaic, folks wanted to shop on Sunday when many people are free from work, and it was most convenient. Some business owners felt they would have higher profits if they could be open all weekend. Unfortunately for some Mom and Pop stores that are already struggling to keep pace with retail chains, the owners have lost their single day off. For the sake of consumption and convenience, we have lost something as well. During our life times, there has been an overall shift in American culture. In general, Sunday is no longer preserved as a day of worship and rest but instead is seen as just another day of the week no different from any other day or simply part of the weekend. Many school teams now play sports on Sundays. With everyone rushing around to different activities, fewer families are sitting down to a Sunday dinner after church or enjoying a leisurely drive or evening at home. What is true of Sunday is true of the rest of the week. Many of us are leading full lives with more things to do than time to complete them. Even the children and youth in this congregation juggle many different obligations including school, sports, and special lessons. Retired people often keep busy with volunteer work, caring for family members, and a variety of activities. These days single people struggle to support themselves. Both partners in a committed relationship often need to work in order to make ends meet. On top of full-time employment, parents manage to shuttle children around, run errands, and do domestic chores. When is there time for a day of rest? Even on days off from our jobs, how can we stop working when laundry is piling up, the yard needs attention, and there are all those household repairs? Some ingrained voice in our heads tells us that we cannot play until our work is done and so we hold off until we have a free moment to call friends or family. Even vacations can be jam-packed with sightseeing and recreation. With all this activity, who has time to think, to study and to connect with the sacred? According to our Judeo-Christian heritage, keeping the Sabbath is not
just a nice thing to do it is elemental to our existence. The origin of
the Sabbath according to the Hebrew Scriptures extends far back to the
creation of heaven and earth itself. God created the world and all of
its creatures in six days, and the seventh day He blessed as the Sabbath,
declared it holy, and ceased from all the work of creation He had done.
Even if we do not view the Bible as the revealed word of God or as scientific
fact, we cannot deny that it is a foundational story. Genesis is a testament
to the wonder of creation. The Creator with powers greater than our own
set aside a day to rest from work. If God could take a break to appreciate
the wonders of creation, than how much more should we? This is what Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel means by facing sacred moments. Hear his words again, "The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath, we try to become attuned to the holiness of time. It is a day on which we are called to share in that which is eternal in time, to turn from the world of creation to the creation of the world." There are divine gifts beyond human acts of creation. However, we must routinely stop from our own striving in order to truly appreciate the gifts that surround and sustain us. Certainly we can affect change through our actions, but it is essential to recognize that the whole world is not ours to shape. I know you may be thinking "Okay, Amy, that's fine in theory but that's just not realistic. It's fine for you to talk about taking time to think, pray, and connect with the sacred, that's your job. I'm overwhelmed with responsibilities. There are people who count on me to do things with them and for them. It would be irresponsible for me to take a day of rest." I would like to share a story with you. You may never of heard of Micah
Golshirazian, but he is a celebrity in the Little League World Series.
Twelve-year-old Micah is a great baseball player who can run like the
wind. He can steal a base in a flash and is also an asset as a centerfielder.
His team, the Burkett All Stars became New England champions in 2002 and
then advanced to the U.S. semi-finals. The championship game that would
decide who would compete in the World Series was scheduled on Saturday
and Micah is an Orthodox Jew. Micah is even more devoted to his religion
than he is to baseball and so he could not play. The coach and his teammates
had the utmost respect for Micah's faith but they also knew they needed
him to win the game. So the championship was scheduled for 8pm. Over the
television broadcast on ESPN, a clock showed a count down until 8:43pm,
sundown when Micah could take to the field. According to our Judeo-Christian heritage, keeping the Sabbath is not just suggestion it is a commandment. Few people dispute that the Decalogue or Ten Commandments provide a strong ethical foundation for our lives. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, Moses did not descend from Mount Sinai with nine commandments and a suggestion. The inclusion of the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments is not trivial. One of our readings this morning was a biblical passage that carefully outlines what it means to "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." This is the fourth commandment mentioned before the prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, lying and covetousness. More than a suggestion, it is a foundation of the Judeo-Christian tradition of which we are a part. Passover commemorates the Jews historic and spiritual journey from slavery to freedom. As it is told, after Moses and the Israelites took flight from Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Even though the Israelites had escaped from the bondage of slavery, they began to grumble and complain. They cried out to God and to Moses that they would have rather remained slaves in Egypt than have to wander around in the wilderness. This very human resistance to change and sacrifice is one of the reasons that it is difficult to reach the Promised Land. On the cover of your order of service is an illustration of the Book of Exodus. When the Israelites complained of hunger, manna fell down from heaven. God sent manna, a sweet white substance to nourish them on the journey to the Promised Land. As it is written, a double portion fell on Friday so that the Israelites could rest from labor and observe the Sabbath. The food that sustains and nourishes our bodies is equally miraculous. Instead of grabbing a meal on the go, we can sit down to truly appreciate at least one meal a week and recognize that we are intimately connected to the cycles of nature. The double portion of manna on Friday is also an illustration that we need to prepare in order to observe the Sabbath. You may have heard of Jews setting timers for lamps and appliances before sundown in preparation. There are thirty-nine acts that are forbidden such as harvesting, baking, building, kindling a fire, and transporting. What these acts hold in common is that each one is productive. They are acts of labor even if performed in the home. The real reason for these restrictions is for human beings to refrain from manipulating the material world in order to focus on intellectual and spiritual matters. The practice of the Sabbath is counter-cultural and revolutionary. As Judaism began to be established as a religion, the Israelites and all peoples would work all day every day in order to feed and clothe themselves. Having a day set aside as holy was revolutionary. As the commandment indicates, the Sabbath was made for all, slave, master, and even animals were meant to rest from labor for one day. The Sabbath as accessible to all people teaches equality beyond the divisions of class. The Puritans are no longer around to publicly shame us for working on the Sabbath. As Unitarian Universalists, we do not follow the same strict religious practices as Orthodox Jews. The blue laws that used to set Sunday a part from other days of the week have been lifted. Even so, this does not make keeping the Sabbath any less important. In fact it may be more important than ever. It's ironic that in America, a country that celebrates having a weekend, two days off from work, we have begun to lose touch with the idea of keeping the Sabbath holy, preserving a time of rest. I believe that the practice of the Sabbath is essential to our continued
existence. How can we remember the Sabbath and keep it holy? Attending Sunday worship
is an vital way to hallow your day, make it holy, set apart from other
days. On Sunday mornings, when you may be tempted to do laundry, pay bills,
read the paper or make other plans, remember that going to church is not
just something else to do. Attending church services is a gift to yourself.
Worship is a spiritual touchstone of being and reflection set apart from
daily activities. The rest of the day can be an extension of that gift.
Perhaps enjoy a meal with family or friends. Take time to walk in nature.
Have a period of spiritual reflection by meditating or reading on a meaningful
subject. Let us find ever-deepening ways to step outside of the frantic
pace of society to find time for God, the sacred, family, friends, prayer,
reading, nature, reflection, fellowship, and for our innermost selves.
Our minds, bodies, and spirits need a day of rest to remember our place
in creation's embrace. |