Sabbath and Contemplation

Welcome to Sabbath and Contemplation

● Introduction● I am not an expert but I practice it● I am aware of God when I practice it● I am more tired, unaware, neglectful, and angry without it● Sabbath is essential

Is this you?

Objectives● Sabbath● Contemplation● Practice● References

What is The SabbathExodus 20:8-11

The Sabbath

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it

holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your

work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to

the Lord your God. On it you shall not do

any work, neither you, nor your son or

daughter, nor your male or female servant,

nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing

in your towns. For in six days the Lord

made the heavens and the earth, the sea,

and all that is in them, but he rested on the

seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the

Sabbath day and made it holy.”

What is Sabbath

Sabbath is a sacred time for rest

● A Sunday

● a Monday

● an afternoon

● a Sabbath hour

● a Sabbath walk

● a drive

● a train ride

Remember the Sabbath

Remember...

● remember that everything you have

received is a blessing

● the delights in your life

● to play

● the fruits of your labor

● to stop

● to offer thanks

Sabbath - Wayne Muller

● “Sabbath is more than absence of work; it is not just a day off, when we catch up on television or errands. It is the presence of something that arises when we consecrate a period of time to listen to what is most deeply beautiful, nourishing or true.

● We feel guilty and ashamed when we are not working but Sabbath gives us permission. It commands us to stop.

● It does not require us to go far away, buy new things, get another degree, change jobs, change clothing. We only need to remember

● The Sabbath practice is to find the balance point of resting well, working well, living well.

BusyNo time

● To savor life● Love family● Love friends● Love mates● Love our world

忙 Remember the Sabbath

Chinese

1. 忙 - busy - máng

2. 忄- radical, xīn, means “heart”

3. 亡 - phonetic element, wáng“, means

lose, disappear, perish, flee,” and, by

extension, can also mean “to have

none, there is not.

Thomas Merton

● Christian monk, poet, social activist, wrote

over 70 books.

● “There is a pervasive form of contemporary

violence…[and that is] activism and

overwork. The rush and pressure of

modern life are a form, perhaps the most

common form, of its innate violence.”

● “The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our

work for peace.”

An Interview with God - Jim Brown

“What surprises you most about mankind?”

“Many things.” “That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore health.That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, and live neither for the present nor for the future.That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived.”

Rest

Interviews

Rich Villodas - Lead Pastor at New Life

Fellowship Church

A. Redd Sevilla - Executive Director of the New

Life Community Development Corporation

God RestedCreation

“God saw that it was good”

God created the land and the seas, plants and

trees, on the third day and afterwards “God

saw that it was good”. God made the sun, the

moon, and the stars on the fourth day and

afterwards “God saw that it was good”. God

created the creatures of the sea and the sky on

the fifth day and afterwards “God saw that it

was good”. God created the creatures of the

land, man, gave all life to man and afterwards

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very

good”. Genesis 1

God RefreshedExhalation

● God created the heavens and the earth,

and on the seventh day, he rested and

was refreshed. Exo 31:17

● “Refreshed” in Hebrew is vayinafash,

which means God exhaled

● All creation moves with the rhythm of

inhalation and exhalation

● The life-giving cycle is not complete

without the exhalation

God Rejoiced

Sabbath invites us to step back and see that is good, to pause, appreciate, and enjoy all the blessings of life

Jesus Rested

● Jesus taught, healed, raised people from the dead. But He also would send people away, disappear without warning, dismiss those in need with neither excuse nor explanation, and retreat to place of rest.

● Jesus did not heal everybody or had been properly cared for. He did not ask for permission to go or go “on call”. When it was time to rest, and healing and work was over, then He would stop, retire to a quiet place, and pray.

● One translation of the biblical phrase, “to pray” means “to come to rest”. Prayer can be being in the presence of God.

Jesus Slept

And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the

waves were breaking over the boat so much that

the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself

was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they

woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not

care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and

rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be

still.” And the wind died down and it became

perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are

you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They

became very much afraid and said to one another,

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea

obey Him? Christ Asleep during the Tempest - Eugène Delacroix Mark 4:37- 41

Rest from Service - Anointing of Jesus

● A woman breaks the alabaster jar of

expensive perfume

● The jar could have been sold for good

money and given to the poor

● Jesus says you will “always have the poor

with you, but you will now always have me

Broken - Lyn Deutsch Matthew 26:6-12

Rest from Service - Mary & Martha

● Martha invited Jesus to her home

● Martha is distracted by preparation while

Mary listens and sits at Jesus’ feet

● Jesus says “you are worried and upset

about many things, 42 but few things are

needed—or indeed only one. Mary has

chosen what is better, and it will not be

taken away from her.”

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary- Johannes Vermeer Luke 10:38-42

DormantSeed • Jesus • Us

Seed

● Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of

wheat falls to the ground and dies, it

remains only a single seed. But if it

dies, it produces many seeds - John 12:

24

Jesus

● Jesus dies and is dormant for 3 days

Us

● Our instant and convenient culture

would want Jesus to be raised up in 2

days, or 1 day, or not die at all.

Henri Nouwen● Priest, professor, worked with people with

disabilities, authored books and hundreds

of articles.

● Our lives have become absurd, which

comes from the latin word, “surdus”,

meaning “deaf”, “inattentive”

● We are called to be obedient, which comes

from the latin word, “audire”, meaning “to

hear”

● In sabbath, we are changed from speaking

and noise to listening, silence, and

obedience to God

● “Somewhere we know that without silence

words lose their meaning, that without

listening speaking no longer heals, that

without distance closeness cannot cure.”

Lectio DivinaDivine Reading

0. Preparation

1. Lectio (reading)2. Meditatio (meditation)3. Oratio (prayer)4. Contemplatio (contemplation)

& Incarnatio (living)

Time

Time & Money

● People with a lot of money and no time are called rich and people with a great deal of time but little money are poor. A successful life is one that is always terribly busy, working hard, accomplishing great things

● Since the 1950’s we are are more productive with automation and industrialization. We should have more leisure time. Yet we traded all that time for more work and greater pay. We spend more to buy a larger house and fill it with twice as much appliances, cars, clothes, and electronics.

● We either spend time to make money or spend time spending money

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

GDP is supposed to measure the wealth of a country by the total value of goods and services bought and sold per country

● Praying ● Contemplation● Walking in the woods● Hugs● Talking to a friend in need ● Hosting stranger/friends/family ● Cooking a meal for a loved one● Teaching people English● Serving the homeless● Caring, volunteering for a, family member,

friend, child, the elderly, or the sick

= $0.00

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

● Drive by shootings ○ $20,750

● If the victim dies and there is a trial○ Over $100,000

● Oil spills● Air Plane Crashes● 9/11

○ Hundreds of $1,000,000,000

● Prisons, Disease, Wars…○ ???

•

Anywhere…(San Francisco ○ China ○ Guatemala)

Anywhere…(Queens ○ Bryant Park ○ Central Park)

Anywhere...(MoMA ○ Church)

Gift from the Sea

Regrets of the Dying - Bronnie Ware

● Bronnie Ware worked in palliative care

with dying patients

● She spent time with these people during

their last 3-12 weeks of living

● She wrote a blog that was read by over 3

million people in its first year that discussed

5 regrets of the dying.○ “I wish that I had let myself be happier”○ “I wish I didn’t work so hard”

○ “I wish I had stayed in touch with my

friends”

Family

Remembering the Sabbath - Summary

● Sabbath moments (doesn’t have to be a full 24 hour workday)○ Journaling , reading, drawing

○ Walking, sitting, running, biking

○ Listening, awareness of your body, touch, smell, eating

○ Encounters with strangers, friends, family

○ Cafes, museums, parks, beaches, corner in your room

○ Everywhere and Anytime because God is present all the time. The space, time, and relationship

you spend with God

● Sabbath expectations:○ Don’t expect a “right” way of doing it. Your relationship and time with God is personal so

sabbath can be different for each person.

○ Expect to make sacrifices in other areas. But your time with family, friends, your self, and God

will be blessed

○ It does not have to be 24 hours consecutively. God wants to spend time with us.

Internet

● D365.org

● The Upper Room Daily DevotionalDevotional.upperroom.org

● Our Daily BreadOdb.org

Books Web and Misc● Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal,

and Delight in Our Busy Lives

● The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (1999) - Henri Nouwen

● The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

● The Way of Scripture Participant's Book (Companions in Christ) (2010)

● Emotionally Healthy...Spirituality Day by Day; Leader; Woman; Church; Leader

● Day One 2 Diary Journal App in IOS ($4.99 to $9.99)

● Journey - Diary, Journal App in Android ($0.99 - $3.99)

● Google Docs (Free)● Silence & Stillness Cards

Thank You!Enjoy your Sabbath!!!