The last several articles have helped us to learn more about Sabbath. We discovered that it is deeply rooted in the creation story and is to be seen as a gift of God; a gift that allows people to renew and refresh. The question before us then becomes, how ought we to live Sabbath in our lives; what are some practical applications of Sabbath? Though there are any number of suggestions, I want to use the Ten Principles from the Sabbath Manifesto (http://sabbathmanifesto.org/) offered by Reboot, a Jewish on-line community.
Principle One – Avoid Technology We begin with what is for many of us the most difficult of the ten principles, disconnecting from our wired world. This means not answering emails, texts or tweets; surfing the internet or playing video games. By so doing we allow our brains and fingers to rest.
Principle Two – Connect with Loved Ones This principle used to be one of the main stays of American life. Sunday for Christians and Friday/Saturday for Jews was a sacrosanct time for being with family; having some face-time. This allows us to truly nurture often lost relationships.
Principle Three – Nurture Your Health We live in an age in which our bodies are assaulted by the big three demons of early death; sugar, fat and salt. Our bodies crave them and we give in to them. By unplugging from these at least one day a week we allow our bodies a moment of physical refreshing. In addition, a nice Sunday walk can't hurt either.
Principle Four – Get Outside This principle is a follow-up to our previous principle. If part of Sabbath is reconnecting with God there are few places better than God's creation in which to do so. By walking or simply sitting outside we allow God's beautiful creation to enfold us and remind us of God's presence and love.
Principle Five – Avoid Commerce Many of us of a certain age remember when stores were not open on Sundays. We were offered a reprieve from acquisitiveness. Now the challenge is up to us to take time away from acquiring things at least one day a week.
Principle Six – Light Candles This principle may seem a bit odd, yet candles are reminders of God as the creating agent (Let there be light) and of Jesus (Jesus is the light of the world). Lighting candles allows us center ourselves in God.
Principle Seven – Drink Wine I think that this principle might be the favorite principle for many of us. Drinking wine (or grape juice) makes sense because not only do the Psalms (104:14) tell us that wine gladdens the heart but because wine is a Biblical metaphor for the chosen people of God; thus reminding us that we are special to our Creator.
Principle Eight – Eat Bread
Once again we turn to Biblical imagery. Psalm 104:14 not only tells us that wine gladdens the heart but that it is bread that sustains the heart. Bread is the symbol of God's beneficence toward humanity. Without bread (grains) civilization could not exist. In addition it reminds us that Jesus is the true bread of life.
Principle Nine – Find Silence We live in a noisy world. Whether it is in the car, at home or where we go to eat…noise is everywhere. Noise keeps us from resting and seeking inner peace. It distracts. By turning off the noise we have an opportunity to rediscover our inner selves.
Principle Ten – Give Back Jesus healed on the Sabbath because it showed the worth of human beings. By serving others on a regular basis we do the same. We connect with God through imitating Jesus' actions and rediscover our own image of God.
The true gift of these principles is that they can be exercised on any day and in almost any place. They help us to understand that Sabbath is not simply a day, but a mindset, in which we practice connecting with God, neighbor, the self and the world.
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