Sabbath Time is Healing Time

14 Pentecost, Cp16,August 25, 2013   

Jer. 1:4-10   Psalm 71:1-6

Hebrews 12:18-19,22-29  Luke 13:10-17

Lectionary Link

  What is the first commandment?  Thou shalt have no other gods.  How does one make the practice of not having other gods?  To use the human love analogy, one gets married and makes an exclusive commitment to one's spouse and forsakes all others in order to be devoted to one.

  A restatement of the first commandment in both the Hebrew Scriptures and in the words of Jesus was to love God with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength.  And how does one do this?

  The answer is given in the fourth commandment of the Big Ten.  The fourth command is: Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.  And what is the essence of the meaning of the Sabbath?  It means putting in deliberate and designated time with God.  It means that one spends time with the one whom one loves.  And if one does not put in the time, one may question the love.  People spend time with the ones whom they love.

  When it comes to worship time, probably most clergy of all ages agree with the words of Woody Allen:  "80% of life is showing up."  Meaning that clergy have spent lots of their lives counting worship attendance.  (Let's see, one, two, three, ......fifty...that's how popular God is today???!  Really?)  The Hebrew Scripture could be said to have been written by various members of the clergy and so there is writing about the importance of honoring the Sabbath.

 We know that honoring the Sabbath is not about worship attendance so that clergy can keep their jobs.  Sabbath worship is about not forgetting God. 

  It is easy to forget God because God in God's invisibility does not demand or force worship upon us.  Since God is invisible, God has to compete with what is visible for attention.   God can be like the forgotten spouse who is forgotten when his lover goes after many other lovers.

  The invisible God has many competitors in the visible world.  We have many other things to do with our time.  We have many other people to honor.  We have many other things to attend to and take care of.  We have ball games to attend on the day of worship.  We have the beach to go to on the day of worship.

  So those pestering clergy forever have been hassling us about keeping the Sabbath and making time for God.

  What can happen when clergy pester about religious rules is that the rules can become dislodged from practical significance.

  Rules can rise to their level of incompetent absurdity if the rules lose their connection with what is healthy, good and just for the people who are supposed to keep the rules.

  We had a baby child in Texas and so for some reason in the 1980's we had to go to the grocery store to buy a baby bottle.  We went to find that during that time there were Sunday Blue laws to protect the holiness of the Christian Sabbath.  And so we could buy beer under the Sunday Blue laws but we could not buy the baby bottle that we needed.

  How's that for a Sabbath law that had arisen to its absurd incompetence?

  So, the Gospel issue raised by the story of Jesus is this?  How do we maintain the integrity of the meaning of the Sabbath without losing the meaning in legalistic absurd incompetence in its actual application?

  This is illustrated in the words of Jesus:  "Listen, you clergy, are you telling me it is okay for a farmer to feed his animals on the Sabbath, but I cannot heal this woman of her illness on the Sabbath because healing is unlawful work on the Sabbath?  Get real, you have lost the connection of the Sabbath with the salvation of the lives of people for whom the Sabbath is supposed to serve in making their relationship with God the most important of human experience."  This is like saying let the houses burn down on Sunday because fire fighters cannot work on Sunday.

  In another Gospel Jesus is quoted as saying, "Sabbath is made for the benefit of humanity; humanity was not made for the benefit of some weekly calendar designation of Sabbath time."

  If the Sabbath is disassociated from the purpose of loving God and one's neighbor with all of one's heart and soul and mind, then it has lost its purpose.

  What else was happening when the Gospel of Luke was written?  The followers of Jesus were being removed from the synagogues.  The Christian movement was becoming more Gentile in membership than Jewish.  The Gentile followers of Jesus were not required to follow the ritual purity rules of Judaism.  Keeping the Sabbath for Jews was very important, it was not just a "Fourth Suggestion" for them; it was one of the Big Ten, non-negotiable.

  Roman Society of the time did not have a weekly holy day, even though there were many non-business days that happened during the Roman year, some of which were religious festivals.  If Sabbath was welcomed on Friday nights by the Jews, how is it that the followers of Jesus could refuse to honor the prescribed Friday to Saturday time for the Sabbath?  What gave the followers of Jesus the right to forget this specific weekly time or change it to the first day of the week?  What is it that gave Christians the right to be more flexible with "Sabbath" time?

  The witness of the Risen Christ within the early church was not to dishonor Sabbath time but to free it from being regarded as only a 24 hour chronological time of prescribed behaviors.

  The witness of Risen Christ gives us permission to elevate the Sabbath to its intended purpose, namely, the celebration of spending quality time with God in the times of one's life.

  The day of rest in the Sabbath tradition means that essentially we should give one seventh of our time to God.  And if we do this, we can know the blessing of God in the other six days of our time.  The purpose of the Sabbath is to take a portion of our human time and designate it as a gift to God and when we do this, we can find a significance qualitative improvement in the rest of the time of our lives and this improvement includes more enjoyment for ourselves and other people in our lives.

  Now any fidgety child will tell us that 24 hours of meditation can be really "boring."  They will also tell us that sitting in church for more than an hour is also, "boring."  They will also tell us that listening to long wordy sermons is "boring."  (You can yawn now).

  The lesson from the Risen Christ tells us that Sabbath time need not be limited to a 24 hour prescribed weekly time.  Sabbath time should also be about "healing" time?   How much time can you and I spend this week in healing our world?  Healing time is the active Sabbath time of taking care of each other and our world.  Healing time is not limited to the 24 hours on Sunday.  Healing time is anytime that we put in the effort to love our neighbors because we deliberately are engaged in the lifetime Sabbath work of loving God, with all of hearts and souls, strength and minds.

  Sabbath is learning to love God and our neighbors in all of the times of our lives.  Sabbath time is salvation time.  Salvation means healing time.   Sabbath time also means the time that we spend in healing each other and our world.

  Let us not be legalistic about the Sabbath today.   Let us learn from Jesus Christ to celebrate the Sabbath each day in our lives as we receive God's grace to heal each other and our world.  Amen.

Sunday School, August 21, 2016

Sunday School,  August 21, 2016      14 Pentecost, C proper 16

A Good Sabbath Law

The fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy

This was a special rule given to the people of Israel to give a day of worship to God; for them the Sabbath begins on Friday evening

For Christians, the special day of worship is on Sunday because we celebrate Easter on the first day of the week.

What is the meaning of the Sabbath?

It is about changing our lives by spending time with God and designating special time for God.

But Sabbath rules can be used wrongly.

Can doctors and nurses take care of sick people on Sundays, holidays and on Christmas?

Can firefighters put out fires on Sunday?

Can first responders save lives on Sunday?

Why?  Because it is more important to choose to save lives than to take time off to go to church and worship God.

What Jesus taught us about the Sabbath is that it is about honoring God in the all of the times of our lives, not just on Sundays.

When we practice healing, help, kindness and love, we are honoring God with Sabbath time. 

The reason we have a special day of worship on Sunday is to remind ourselves that all of our time belongs to God and so we should use all of the time of our lives for love and kindness and justice.

What happens when we put yeast in bread dough?  It makes it rise.

What happens when we put a sugar cube in a cup of tea?  It dissolves and makes all of the tea sweet.

This is what the Sabbath rule is supposed to do for us.  We are supposed to make a special time for God each week so that we can have the practice of remembering God in all of the times of our lives.  Just like the little yeast spread to the entire dough, Sabbath time spreads to and influences all of the time of our lives.

Sermon:

  How many of you have rules in your family?

  Do your rules ever get broken?

  Do your parent want you to eat the food that is put on your plate?

  But do they make you eat food if you have a tummy ache or if you are sick?  Why not?  If you are sick, then rules about eating change.  Why?  Because the rules have to change to help a person when they are sick. Right.

  Do your parents make you take a bath?  Do you have to take a bath if you are sick?  No.  Again the rules change when you are sick.

  Does a police car have to stop at a red light if they have turned on their flashing lights and sirens and if the police car is rushing to an accident?

No, the police get to break the law.  The same is true for fire trucks and for ambulances.  So there are special situations in life that make us change or adjust the rules.

  In the time of Jesus there was a law about the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was a day of rest, a day of worship.  And no one was supposed to work on the Sabbath.  But what did Jesus do?  He healed a sick woman on the Sabbath.  And the religious leader got mad at him for breaking the rule.  And Jesus told the religious leader that he was being silly about the rule of the Sabbath.  You give water to your animals on the Sabbath and that is work but you still do it.  So why is it wrong to heal a sick woman on the Sabbath?

  Jesus showed that laws are good, but they still have to used in the right ways so that they truly help people.

  What if I am playing soccer with you and there is only one soccer ball and it is mine.  So, when we play soccer, I get to touch the soccer ball with my hands.  And you say, “That’s not fair.”  And I say, “Too bad.  If you don’t want to follow my rules, then I am going to take my ball and go home.”

  What kind of rule would that be?  It would be a selfish rule that served only me.  And because I owned the only soccer ball, I controlled the game.”  That would not be a fair rule, would it?

  Jesus said that the leaders were not fair in their rules.  They made rules that were good for them and their jobs, but not good for ordinary people who wanted to know that God loved and care for them.

  So you and I need to remember that laws and rules are good, but we have to know how to use them so that they truly help us to love God and help us to love and help other people.  That is what Jesus taught us about the law.Amen

 St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

August 21, 2016: The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Gathering Songs: Hallelu, The Wise Man, Eat This Bread, Soon and Very Soon

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Liturgist: Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: Hallelu, Hallelujah, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 84)

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!

Liturgist: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Liturgist: Let us pray

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Alleluia

O God, you are Great! Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 103

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, * and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits.

3 He forgives all your sins * and heals all your infirmities;.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

Thanks be to God!

Liturgist: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Liturgist: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon –

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist: The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People: And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Offertory Song: The Wise Man, (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 250)

1. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. The foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down

and the floods came up. The rains came down and the floods came up. The rains came down and the floods came up. And the house on the sand went Crash!

2. The wise man built his house upon the rock. The wise man built his house upon the rock. The wise man built his house upon the rock. And the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down as the floods came up. The rains came down as the floods came up. The rains came down as the floods came up. And the house on the rock stood firm.

3. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ. And the blessings will come down. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up. So build your house on the Lord.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of God.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

(All may gather around the altar)

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael. - 5 -

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

the bread and drink the wine, we can know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as

this food and drink that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ. May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant: Alleluia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Eat This Bread, (Renew!, # 228)

Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry.

Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Closing Song: Soon and Very Soon (Renew!, # 276)

1. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king. Alleluia, alleluia, we are going to see the king.

2. No more dying there, we are going to see the king; no more dying there, we are going to see the king; no more dying there, we are going to see the king. Alleluia, alleluia, we are going to see the king.

3. Repeat verse 1

Dismissal:

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.

People: Thanks be to God!

 .

The Sabbath Principle; Holy Time towards Love, Mercy and Justice

14 Pentecost, Cp16,August 25, 2013   

Jer. 1:4-10   Psalm 71:1-6

Hebrews 12:18-19,22-29  Luke 13:10-17

Lectionary Link

 In the history of time, the history of a religious Sabbath has been wide and varied in observance and practice.  Perhaps some remember the practice of the so called “blue laws” where certain items could not be sold on the Lord’s Day.  I remember in Texas the irony of not being able to buy a baby’s bottle from a grocery store on Sunday but buying beer was permitted.  The logic of such blue laws was sometimes inscrutable, or perhaps it merely depended upon the lobbyists who could exert the most influence upon those writing the laws.

  We could look at the rules of Sabbath as being used to force the society to give a place for religious institutions.  The Sabbath rules have been influential to maintain the religious perspective in societies.  We can observe today how in the United States the Sabbath is no longer an obligation which is given as much legal and social support as it has been given in the past.  With the proliferation of team sports for youth, worship times are facing stiff competition for participation in the form of attendance.  If given a choice, youth sports is seen as more vital for a child’s immediate well-being than attending a religious service.

  In the Gospels, Jesus is often presented as being in conflict with religious leaders regarding the practice of the Sabbath.  In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Humanity is not made for the Sabbath; Sabbath is made for humanity.”  This would suggest to us that the notion of Sabbath has a degree of flexibility to it in how it is understood and practiced by humanity.

  If the Sabbath is practiced as being incompatible with health, safety and justice, then the Sabbath may actually lose its spiritual value.  Jesus was confronting people who were making the Sabbath legalistically impractical for human life.

  What would we say if fire personnel refused to put out fires on Sunday?  Or police refused to fight crime on Sunday?  Or doctors and nurses refused to care for patients and handle emergencies on Sunday?  We would say the practice of Sabbath is of no value if it actually hinders health, safety and welfare.

  If I practice racial discrimination and prejudice, but say, “Well, I do go to church every Sunday,” what good does going to church do me?  Well, I might say, “At least it keeps me from murder and that’s worth something, isn’t it.”

  It reminds one of the commercial where the accidental amateur is pretending to be a surgeon and when asked if he is a doctor, he replies, “No, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.”

  Are you kind, and love your neighbor as yourself?  No, but I did go to church last Sunday.  Just going to church does not stand in as a substitute for practicing love and justice.

  The religious leaders were upset that Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath.  Such healing was regarded as work to them and so he was violating the Sabbath.  Jesus pointed out their selective and inconsistent thinking about the Sabbath.  If they watered their livestock on the Sabbath, why would they object to someone being made well on the Sabbath?

  Jesus confronted their motive for how they practiced the Sabbath.

  It might be beneficial for us to consider some reflections upon the Sabbath.   In the history of humanity, we have a history of how time can be differentiated by the various activities that we do during the passing of time.  Our bodies dictate how we have to spend some of our time; we get tired and we have to sleep.  In fact, sleep time or rest time takes up more than a third of all of the time of our lives.  Our bodies tell us we must eat and drink and do other activities for body maintenance.  And we must designate time for eating and drinking and doing body maintenance.

  The rest of the use of our waking time might be called discretionary time; most of our discretionary time gets accounted for in the division of labor standards set by our cultural setting for people at different ages of life.  We divide discretionary time into work and play.  A major calling in life for each person is to discover how best to use discretionary time to achieve what one regards to be most important in life.

  In the history of humanity one can find a special category of designated time for the gods or for the One God of Israel, or for the Trinitarian God of Christianity.  Time for the divine has been found in perhaps every culture.  In the biblical tradition we find that God spends six out of seven days of the divine time creating but on one day, God rests from creation.  From this ancient story of God resting after creation, we can find the justification for rest.  After all if God rests, we cannot be any better than God and we should rest too.

  So then tabernacle, temple, synagogue, church and mosque become the institutional places to express the religious rest time that is called worship.  Worship time may not really be the rest of sleep.  It is the rest of doing something towards the horizon of human experience so that we may be able to endure human experience.

  Institutional religions can literalize and legalize Sabbath rest and worship to a list of do’s and dont’s.  But to literalize a Sabbath rest only invites exceptions.  Someone must feed the babies and the children; someone must take care of the farm animals.  There are many expressions of human need that do not come to a halt just because it is the Sabbath or because it is Sunday.  On Monday in the grocery store, I am often asked by the cashier if I enjoyed my Sunday day off.  To which I reply, “I worked.”  And certainly the religious leaders of the synagogue knew that they had to work at teaching and prayer on the Sabbath.

  The Gospel invitation of Jesus is for us to be authentic about the Sabbath principle without being literal or legalistic about any particular practice of the Sabbath.

  To be authentic about the Sabbath principle, we need to ask ourselves some questions?  Does my practice of the Sabbath promote the actual practice of justice, love and mercy in my life?  Does my practice of the Sabbath help me to overcome my prejudices in life?

  Yes, I do like to see as many people in church on Sunday  as I can even if for the selfish purpose of soothing the preacher’s insecurity about his ministry being relevant to enough people to keep the Episcopal Church parish enterprise alive and well.

  But it could be today we need to express authenticity in the Sabbath principle in a variety of ways.  I would like to persuade us to give 24 hours a week in a God-ward direction in our lives as a way to deliver us from the pride of mere humanism.  Of that twenty four hours, eight hours are given as sleep.  So you get religious Sabbath credit for holy sleep.  Go and ahead designate at least one night of sleep as worship to God.  So that leaves you 16 hours to spread out in a movable and cumulative way through the other 112 hours of being awake.  16 hours can be woven into your schedule; yes you can include Sunday worship, private prayers and meditation, Bible reading, devotional reading, spontaneous prayers, prayers during commuting, prayers during a walk or work out, prayers while playing golf, works of outreach and mercy.

  Find at least sixteen waking hours a week to work on love, mercy and justice for yourself and for others.  When we seek God, we are seeking to rest from pride of mere human work and accept the accompanying source of grace from somewhere else, even from the one whom we address as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We literally try to rest from our egos so that we are receptive and open to change in our lives toward authentic love, justice and mercy.

  If you and I are honest we could spend sixteen hours a week in giving thanksgiving for the gift of our lives as we know them.

  So today, let us embrace the Sabbath principle; we reach toward God in resting from both human pride and failure.  We ask for grace to practice in a more excellent way, justice, love and mercy.  And when we fail in willful ways, we don’t excuse ourselves by saying, “afterall, I did go to church on Sunday;” rather we humbly ask that all of our Sabbath time will help us accept forgiveness for failure at love and justice, and recommit ourselves to being better at love and justice tomorrow than we are today.

  The Gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to integrate the Sabbath principle into our lives and to make our Sabbbath time authentic with the practice of love, mercy and justice.  Amen.