Sabbath

Good morning all, Bore da pawb!

For Day 6 we have a different Bible verse to begin your day.

Today is Sabbath day. To Sabbath means to rest. Till now Sundays have rarely been restful for most folk. The rest of our week gets so filled with business that we end up cramming our rest days with stuff to ensure we don't waste them. Then we go back to work the following day more tired than ever. Rinse and repeat.

The idea of Sabbath comes from when God rested on the seventh day after creating everything. The Sabbath continued through the Jewish tradition with the Jewish people resting on a Saturday from their labour. The tradition was strengthened during the Exile of the Jewish people into Babylon. The priestly class wanted to safeguard The faith and practice of the Jewish people in this strange land among peeler who worshipped strange Gods and did not take one whole day off to give to God. 

It was during this time that the first part of the book of Genesis is believed to have been written down, as a way to help the people remember.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, “Let there be an expanse[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made[b] the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven.[c] And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth,[d] and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[e] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,[f] and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds[g] fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,

    in the image of God he created him;

    male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Whether you believe the story or not, whether it meant 6 literal days or not. That was not the message of this poem designed to be used in worship.

It was a message and reminder that we were not made by accident and that God thought us very good. God blessed the seventh day and declared it Holy (set apart) so let us use it. Rest, recuperate and let mind, body and spirit heal in the presence of God.

*****

MORNING

Wake, but do not move to begin with. Be aware of yourself, the air going in and out of your lungs, be aware of your senses and what they are telling you, feel the aches and pains of life that were dulled a bit by rest.

Give thanks, because all you feel means you are alive, the world is better for you being in it.

Take a moment to think of ONE positive thing you will try to do today.

Psalm 119:73 (Read through slowly 3 times)

Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

BREAKFAST

As you make your breakfast, be mindful of each thing you do as you do it. Be fully present.

As you consume your breakfast offer thanks for the producers and distributers of our food, water and power.

LUNCH

Pause. Sit. Breathe. You are still here.

Follow the same routine of mindfulness and thanks as at breakfast.

DINNER/TEA

Same as for lunch

EVENING BEFORE SLEEP

Be aware of yourself, the air going in and out of your lungs, be aware of your senses and what they are telling you, feel the aches and pains of life that will be dulled a bit by rest.

Give thanks, because all you feel means you are alive and have lived, the world is better for you being in it.

Thanks be to God.

Amen