Mark 2:23- 28

Read :

Mark 2:23- 28

23 One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, 'Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?' 25And he said to them, 'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.' 27Then he said to them, 'The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.'

Think:

The sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the sabbath...
I 've never been good at sitting still, when I do so often times I fall asleep.  There is actually a wonderful bet that someone once made with me that if I could sit still for 30 minutes with out talking, moving or falling asleep they would give me $100.00.  I proceeded to fall asleep soundly at the 10 minute mark.  I didn't get the $100.00.

Until recently I've always thought of the sabbath like sitting still so I am glad to hear Jesus telling the Pharisees that sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath.  Because it means that I am not a failed faithful person because I am not good about keeping a dedicated sabbath. I used to be better, before seminary, before marriage, before I had a dog who needed to be walked twice a day regardless of if the day was a sabbath day or not.  I used to take sabbath days and not answer my phone, reply to emails, or even turn on the tv if I could help it.  But to take a sabbath day like that actually stressed me out more and didn't accomplish what I think the sabbath is supposed to accomplish which is bringing me closer to God, in creation, in recreation.

So once I got to seminary I thought that I would attempt to keep the sabbath in a new way, but that didn't really work so well school work got in the way, planning a wedding got in the way, getting used to living together got in the way, dealing with life in general got in the way.  This week however, I had an unexpected week long sabbath.  Being forced to lay with my leg up gave a lot of time to sit and think to watch mindless television and to do some knitting which I haven't done so much lately.  I made a hat and a head band... It wasn't much but it was something.  I know we aren't supposed to work on the sabbath, but I don't find knitting to be work... I find knitting to be helpful in keeping in mind creation, reminding me of the simple rhythm of it, the simple pattern of it and the intentionality of it.

I was not made for the sabbath but the sabbath was made for me to remember that there is one who created me as carefully as i crafted a scarf, or hat, or headband...

Prayer:

Thank you for the gift of the sabbath, Lord.  I pray that I can be more faithful in my observance of it.  Keep it holy, keep it peaceful and keep it not as a punishment but as a period of intentionality.

Contemplation:

Tried to do this, but I fell asleep, the husband woke me up when he came home from walking the dog... it doesn't matter, sometimes I still can't earn that $100.00