It’s Saturday morning. A couple of hours ago, it was 4:17 am. Awake. Ready to move, but still, a sleep-deprived restlessness did not get me out of bed. Instead, I forced myself to drift back to sleep, and then at 5:30 am, I got up to face my day. I never understood those that found lounging around in bed to be a “thing.” With much to do, life is lived “out there” and not “in here.”
It wasn’t too long ago that the work week was six days in length. Then, it became 5 1/2 days for most office personnel. Even back in the ’70s, many were trapped habits. The old way of thinking was to go to the office if nothing but for show. That disappeared as a working norm, and now, it would seem, there is a push to create a four-day work week. The pandemic showed us many jobs can be done from remote locations, but working from home is not always conducive to productivity.
For most of my life in IT, my responsibilities were seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with some rotating periods of not being in charge. As a pastor, I must force myself to disconnect, and the stress of worrying, praying, and carrying stress keeps me living in an unhealthy state of mind. I think. No. I’m sure of it. I think.
I remember Saturday. Fondly. It was also a day of work – but mainly around the house. As kids, we could watch Saturday morning cartoons until 9 am, but we had to do significant cleaning chores. I remember beating the dust out of the rugs, washing windows and baseboards, moving plants from here to there, and then next week? Move them back. Rake. Mow. Trim.
Once finished, like those with the 5 1/2 day work week, we were free to go out and play. With the focus on “go out.” We were tough back then! No A/C in Texas often meant the outside was a lot cooler than the fan blowing hot air inside.
Sunday was never a “day of rest.” It was all about the church: Morning and Evening. Afternoon family dinners and feeling exhausted when we went to school on Monday. I think this is why, in my focus of pastoring, I’ve enjoyed a single service. Giving it my all for one event takes a lot out of me. My Sunday afternoon is about R&R before the work week starts up. Yes. I was at one time bi-vocational, and I worked a regular job while pastoring. It’s not happened in a while, but those days shaped my focus of today.
Taking A Day Off
Even God took a day off when he reached the end of his creation work week.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made;
and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:
because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
(Genesis 2:1-3 KJV)
Some say we are a product of a big bang, and maybe it was God who caused that action to occur. I’m not worried about what we don’t know. We all believe something happened. I choose to believe in God and trust the Bible.
Okay. What did God do on this day of rest? I’m clueless! Before the six days of creation, I wondered what He did then!
Notice. The Bible says he “sanctified” the seventh day. This action means “to set apart as holy.” For most Christians, this “holy” day is what we call our church day. Some do it on Saturday, but the majority celebrate it on Sunday. Why Sunday? The Bible says the tomb was empty on the “first day of the week,” after the Sabbath (Jewish Holy Day). (Luke 24:1, Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, John 20:1) It’s thought this day became sanctified when Jesus rose from the grave.
So, our Holy Days are Saturday (Jewish) and Sunday (most Christians.) Islam identifies Friday as their most holy day, and the hour of prayer is the most special hour of their day.
Here’s My Thought
For the most part, we identify our sanctified day differently than others, even though we have similar roots. These three religions all trace back to Abraham. From Ishmael, the Islamic religion finds its roots. From Isaac, Jewish and Christians trace their origins.
When the Apostle Paul wrote about not esteeming one day higher than the other, he was dealing with those who were convinced in their mind that they were right and others were wrong. (Romans 14:15)
I am comfortable accepting Sunday as my “day of rest,” but it is not very restful in my role. Those involved in teaching, worshipping, planning, do, cleaning, you name it – it’s an act of service, but it is not “rest!” Of late, I’ve carved Monday as my day of rest. Here I try to do nothing, and something, all at the same time. Errands. Chores. Write. Think. Connect.
I found a new “thinker” to follow. He says a lot of things I wished I knew back in my younger days. One of his quotes goes like this:
Rest when you’re weary.
Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit.
Then get back to work.
~Ralph Marston