I was recently asked, “What is the proper way to honor and live-out the Sabbath?”
Well, let’s start by looking at what the Sabbath originally was.
The Sabbath was originally the 7th day of creation, when God rested from all that he had created.
This doesn’t mean that God kicks up his feet and goes on vacation.
Creation was to be God’s palace, so “to rest” in the biblical sense means that God took up residence in his earthly palace. This is why we read about God “waking” in the Garden in Eden.
In other words, the Sabbath was about God living among us.
However, because of our fall, we were cast out of Eden and away from God’s presence, but the story doesn’t end there.
In the New Testament, we see that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath
The stories that mention the Sabbath are about Jesus healing and restoring people on that day. In other words, God is now living among us through Jesus Christ, and he’s recreating us to be who we were meant to be.
So, how can we honor this?
On the Sabbath, we can find ways to focus on Christ’s presence in our lives and ways we can extend healing to those around us.
This could include visiting shut-ins, helping out in a shelter, or, perhaps, even focusing on healing creation by picking up litter alongside the road.
The Sabbath and the Orthodox Church:
In the Orthodox Church the Sabbath is Saturday–in Greek the word for Saturday is Sabbath/Σάββατο–and it has a special commemoration. It’s the day of remembrance for those who have departed.
So, on this day, we can also remember our loved ones who have passed on in our prayers.
Don’t forget it’s connection to Sunday, though!
But, we also look forward to Sunday as the “Lord’s Day,” which isn’t just the 1st day of the week, but also the 8th day, which symbolizes fullness and completeness.
This means on the 8th day, the Day of Resurrection, we see creation finally completed as it meant to be.
Through attending Divine Liturgy and communing, we become the Body of Christ, and, as such, God comes to dwell in us, in his creation, which was his goal from the beginning.
P.S. I realize I haven’t had a podcast in a while. I’ve been struggling with some throat issues that make it hard for me to speak. Once, I’ve fully recovered, I’ll return with new episodes. In the mean time, please keep me in your prayers.
I hope you feel better soon Fr. Dustin! I was thinking about what you said, about extending God’s healing to other people or the world, including visiting shut-ins or helping out in shelters or picking up litter. I think those are all really great examples of things we can go do, and whenever I imagine myself “trying to be a better person” as it were, I think of things like that. I remember doing things like that with my church when I was young.
Also, lately I’ve been trying to think about how to put God’s healing into the world, without acts of charity that would require making appointments and circumventing my routine and going out into the world where all could see my great acts of goodness, and I think–what about just being kind to unkind people when my first impulse is to lash out? I think that is an example of God’s healing in the world. What about trying to be a decent spouse when I want to be a selfish spouse, or a better father where I have lapsed in my giving of time and attention? This is a type of ministry that has a huge impact on the emotional and spiritual well-being of everyone who experiences it.
I think it is very difficult to be or offer or extend God’s healing into the world if we do not have some sort of regular and frequent connection to God in our own life and self. I don’t mean religion or church or spirituality–but I think those things are very helpful, sometimes, in opening up the soul back to God. But offering healing to others in the form of God’s compassionate presence only really can happen (I imagine) if we host God’s compassionate presence in ourselves, which means (I think) opening ourselves up to God as constantly and without limit as we can, in every aspect of our lives. Which is (in a way) what you are sort of getting at with God’s re-creation, and our partnership with God, allowing God to be present as we build every moment of our being, or acknowledging God in ourselves rather than living as if there is no God beyond ourselves.
It’s all just stuff I’m still thinking about. I appreciate your homily and the way it got me reflecting. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.
I love reading your blog and knowing that your ministry is still strong. Thank you so much for all the work you are doing in the world. I know you are taking good care of yourself and all those God has given into your care!
Hi Justin!
It’s been a long time. Thank you for reading and your insightful comments. I think you’re absolutely right: it’s hard to offer healing to the world if we don’t have a connection with God ourselves. I think I’d add, it’s hard to offering healing if we ourselves haven’t felt God’s healing, which makes a connection to God through the Church, scripture, and prayer all the more important!
God bless,
Fr.D.
I hope you feel better soon. Looking forward to more podcasts. Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Stella, and merry Christmas!