Remember
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” – Exodus 20:8
Dear Friends,
On Sunday we’re coming to the conclusion of The Great Escape, our series on the Exodus. And in case you were wondering, we will make it all the way to the 10 Commandments. There’s a lot that can be said about these instructions, and I’ll do my best to tackle that on Sunday, but one thing that is poignant for us is the word remember.
It’s the only command that has that includes that instruction. While the pre-amble to the Commandments includes God’s work of saving Israel from slavery, the Sabbath-keeping is the only command that explicitly tells the people to look back and remember. And maybe that’s because it’s the one that takes the most faith.
The first three about no other gods or images or misusing the name of the LORD certainly imply faith – we can’t hedge our bets by cozying up to other gods or treating the God with disrespect. The final 6 commands are about how we relate to each other, and they’re all fairly straightforward. But the idea of not working for an entire day – just taking a break to breathe – well, that means you’re trusting your world isn’t going to fall apart when you remove your hand from the wheel.
That takes some faith.
And that faith is built by looking back and remembering.
We’re invited to remember that God rested – and the world didn’t fall apart. And God invites us into a relationship of trust where we can experience joy in our rest by not bearing the weight of our world, let alone the entire world.
Following worship this Sunday, we’re going to take some time to remember together at our Annual Congregational Meeting. While there’s some business that takes place, it’s ultimately about taking time out to recognize that all that God has done among us over the past year. And it’s a lot! But how easily we forget when we don’t take the time to reflect and remember. It’s especially important when we face big questions and concerns today and tomorrow – that can force us to think that if we don’t act now… we’ll jeopardize everything! When instead, what we really need to do, is remember that God has us, that God’s at work, and we can put our faith and trust in God. And when we do, we’re a whole lot more ready and able to work well.
So, remember what God has done. Remember to take that breath, that rest that is God’s grace to us. See you Sunday!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – one rest at a time,
Pastor Don