Have you taken your Sabbath?

What's Sabbath to you? Some take it as a Saturday, majority of Christians will say its a Sunday, while others say it can be any day set a side in a week for rest, or perhaps it could it be just a period of time more than a day set aside, and then there's a more radical view where its beyond a time or set day but actually an "attitude of the heart", where one come to a place of trust and surrender before the Lord?

Well's not starting a theological discussion on Sabbath here, but just felt convicted today to share some personal reflections on it after a discussion on it at Disciple 1 class yesterday and one crazy past 3 weeks where my body was telling me to take a break and rest. 

The last 3 months since Nov 2012 till today has been one of the most craziest period of my life. Had countless of camps & retreats back to back both coordinating and participating. Ended 2012 with a 7 days mission trip, came back & began 2013 the next day with the first session of Disciple 1 for the new batch as a facilitator. Trackers Boot Camp began the following week, and realised on hindsight that in the span of the first week of Jan of 2013, had 2 retreats & 1 camp in 7 days! 

Since 2013 started the past 3 weeks alone, had non stop activities from morning to night. Trackers in the day, church events at night. Fell sick halfway and realised, I think I've have hit the wall. Although I thoroughly enjoyed participating in all this "spiritual" activities, I knew physically I was starting to feel the fatigue and my body was telling me to rest! And I got to admit, it was my choice and decision that i'm involved in all these activities and had counted the cost when I signed up myself for all this. Although I was very busy, It's has been very fulfilling being involved in Trackers for the first time. And I actually grew attached to my trackers group, "Team Nepal Shan" and it was so hard to take an off day as I just wanted to spend as much time with them. Until i realised, after preparing and sharing a lesson on Sabbath at DISCIPLE class last night. That I better practice what I preach and told my Trackers group that got to miss them for a day, and take a break on thursday. 

And finally today, I manage to block of this day just to take a break for awhile. Started an amazing thursday, catching up with a YM leader over breakfast nearby. And took a nice 5mins walk across my place to my favourite cafe, "Wimbly Lu Chocolates" at Jln Riang.

Spent my entire afternoon "sabbath" resting in God's presence at my favourite Wimbly Lu chocolates near my place. A nice ice caffe latte, a good read & sometime to just take a break & reflect on this exciting Faith Journey!. Really miss my weekly dates with Jesus! :)

And just this afternoon, after a nice good time talking to God, and journalling my prayer with Him. Decided to take a read of this book "Streams of Living Water" by Richard Foster. And the chapter was on the "Contemplative Stream". I was than led to an old spiritual journal which my first formal mentor, Ps Gladwin Lee, gave to me on 28 Feb 2008. Where he challenged me to copy the entire book of "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence.

So what's Sabbath?

The Anglicized term "Sabbath" is in Hebrew Shabbath meaning "day of rest"; it derives from the verb shavath ,defined as "desist from exertion" (often "rest" or "cease"). 

The first mention of Sabbath in the bible began in the Genesis creation story! 

Genesis 2:2-3 (NIV)

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Flashback to Disciple 1 last Wednesday night, we had this discussion on Sabbath, should we take it as a literal day of rest after 6 days of work. The majority of Christians would take it as Sundays. Full time church workers like me would probably take it on a weekday, since our weekends are normally busy at church. And then there's this radical approach of Sabbath, that I kinda agree too. That is beyond a "set time or day" but an Attitude of the Heart, to intentionally be in a state of Trust & Surrender, a time to reflect in God and to stop doing the things of the World". And it's not bound by a day or time.  

Having said that, I still believe that however we view what the Sabbath is, all of us should at the very least make a period of time of just resting in God. Where we cease all activities. It can be few days, a day, half day, or just a couple of hours. 

It took one random IDMC conference in 2011 which I attended where my favourite preacher, Rev Edmund Chan challenged the congregation to make a date on our calendars to just spend a time of solitude with the Lord. In response to his message, decided to a save a date on my next off day & commit that day to Him. On 8 Sep 2011, carried out that commitment on my off day & experience an amazing refreshing day dwelling in His Word & being in His awesome presence! A journal entry of it in this link here. Journal of my first "Set day with the Lord"   

Also collated this photo album of my many "Sabbaths" there after "A Day with the Lord"   

Brother Lawrence once said this, "I do nothing else but abide in his holy presence , and I do this by simple attentiveness and an habitual, loving turning of my eyes on Him. This I should call... A wordless and secret conversation between the soul and God which no longer ends."

If you actually manage to reach to the end of this post, let me leave you with this challenge, that I was challenged myself too that change my entire view of Sabbath! 

Look at your calendars today. Save a date right now, it can be a few days, a full day or at least half a day. And make that appointment with Jesus! Or you probably need is to be in a nice quiet place, a bible, a good christian read & probably a journal.

Have you taken your Sabbath?