Vocation and Sabbath

Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening. I must listen to my life and try to understand what it is truly about - quite apart from what I would like it to be about - or my life will never represent anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my intentions.

That insight is hidden in the word vocation itself, which is rooted in the Latin for "voice." Vocation does not mean a goal that I pursue. It is a calling that I hear. Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity, not the standards by which I  must live - but the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life.

Behind this understanding of vocation is a truth that the ego does not want to hear because it threatens the ego's turf: everyone has a life to live that is different from the "I" of daily consciousness, a life that is trying to live through the "I" who is its vessel. This is what the poet knows and what every wisdom tradition teaches: there is a great gulf between the way my ego wants to identify me, with its protective masks and self serving fictions, and my true self. 

- Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak 

Each of us bears a sense of calling, even if it is only voiced by the question, "Why am I here?" This simple question is the seed of vocation. We bear this question, or questions like this, every day. When we do not allow space to quiet our own questions, to sit in silence, to listen for the breath of life, the voice of God, we deny the answer to our deepest longings. We remain in a pregnant state, bearing the weight of the question without the birth of an answer or the life to live it.

Vocation needs Sabbath. Without Sabbath, vocation cannot be fully realized. Without Sabbath, Ego rules our days, our questions, our answers, our identity. Our ego fashions idols of immediate gratification, busying us, but never completing us; gorging us, but never really filling us.

We need Sabbath because we need the voice of God that sometimes whispers (sometimes screams) at us to realize another way to be. What are the truths and values at the heart of your identity that tell you who you are? Silence your ego, empty your mind, open your ears, and listen for the Voice. Let the great Intercessor, the Midwife, meet you where you are and bring life to the answers that await you.

Emmanuel, God is with us.

Cappella degli Scrovegni, Midwife Salome

Sabbath is...

"Rest in Harvest" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau c.1865

Sabbath Mission - Day 40

I can't claim that anything I've written over the past 40 days is "new." There are countless books about the Sabbath, the necessity of rest, the ways the consumption of technology and media are affecting our brains, the troubles of an over-scheduled life, etc. etc. I don't wish to simply say more of the same thing. Instead, my hope for this experiment has had to do with building community engagement and involvement. If we are to revision and redefine sabbath for the 21st century, it is not merely a matter of Bible study and rest; though, that is where many of us may need to begin. Instead, it is the practice of both/and. As you may have noticed, each week of this process has had a theme or title that involved this practice. Week One wasn't just gratitude - it was grattitude AND letting go. In this same way, sabbath for the 21st century isn't just sabbath - it's Sabbath Mission.

Early on, as I contemplated our pressing need for sabbath, it also became clear to me that it wasn't just a matter of revisiting an old idea. It was a matter of complete renewal, even reformation. Sabbath is easily and often confused with liesure time, a break, or a holiday; rather than a perspective and rhythm by which we can shape our lives. On the other hand, mission without sabbath is often understood and spoken as action and works-based. It can be ego-driven without the balance of sabbath. It can become all about how we are bringing about the Kingdom of God. Mission needs sabbath as sabbath needs mission. Without the counterpoint of one, the other is lost. As we begin living this both/and, Sabbath Mission, we become more alive in our engagement with life itself. We live Christ-centered, rather than ego-driven.

In the community we've built through this experiment we have grown in our understanding of a sabbath life. We've been inspired to pass it on, talk about it, and try something new; expressing our new growth out in the world. These deepend relationships, this new expression, is the mission of God in motion. We have stumbled upon its definition on our own and go from here living in it. That's why we need sabbath and that's why we, as a people of faith, are also a people of mission.

Sabbath Mission will not look the same for everybody or the same every day. To be a people of Sabbath Mission does not mean we will spend every day perfectly in gratitude/letting go, care for creation/confession, worship/idolatry, peace/bitterness, and rest/distraction. Some days, all we will be up for or feel we have the time for is simply breathing. Other days, we will have the gift of space, more time to wander through the rituals and practices that make sabbath Sabbath Mission for us. As the heading of this blog wonders, the point isn't so much the amount of time we have, but how we honor it. What will happen when we dedicate our time to sabbath? There is not one answer to this. It is one of those questions that constantly leads to new questions and new conclusions, depending on the day.

The biblical poet suggested that there are 613 commandments: 365 (the number of days in the year) plus 248 (the number of bones in the body, according to the science of the day). In other words, we bring all the parts of who we are, "the bad and the good," into every moment, and every moment is a commanding moment. - Irwin Kula, Yearnings

Martin Luther teaches us that we are simulatneously saint and sinner. This isn't about what we do and don't do. Rather, we are named Saint because of who we are in relation to God, forgiven sinners. It is the grace of God that has transformed this relationship into something wholly new. It is in this grace that we can face the truth of who we are both saint and sinner.

Consider what this means in our relationship to time. We are simultaneously saint and sinner, bringing both the good and bad with us into every moment. Every "commanding moment" is an opportunity to practice Sabbath Mission, an opportunity to live out our new relationship with God, freed by the radical grace of forgiveness. In the same way that our relationship with God has been transformed by grace, so has our relationship with time been claimed and sanctified (made holy). Some days, Sabbath Mission will come easy to us. Other days it will be struggle. But the unchanging truth of Sabbath Mission is the transformative power of God's grace, alive. Whether we find ourselves on a good day or bad, as we are faced by each commanding moment, we can rest in God's word, "my grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). When we finally rest in this Word, we live Sabbath Mission.

You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we're at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise - again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard.This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations. If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 

- 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (The Message)

In what ways has the 40 Day Sabbath Experiment helped you face your weaknesses?

In what ways has the 40 Day Sabbath Experiment helped you recognize God's strength despite your weakness? How has it made you stronger?

How will you continue to explore Sabbath Mission in your life? 

Sabbath Again - Day 39

In the closing of our 40 day experiment, it is good to look back at the place where we started. Many of us started at a place grappling with definitions. What is sabbath? What does it mean to practice the Sabbath? Do we even need to anymore? I have used this experiment as an opportunity to reconnect to the heart of sabbath and, as I've said so often in previous posts, reorient myself through sabbath practices. In this experience, sabbath has taken on a new meaning for my daily life, as I know it has for many of you as well.

So much of our lives is just this - taking words, old ideas, a life-time of education and experiences, meeting them again, and seeing them with new eyes. It is pretty awesome to watch something we once thought dead or meaningless suddenly filled, even breathing, with new life...



Most of us know the story, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. If you own a copy of it, take some time to read it or watch the video below. You may come to the story with reactions from previous readings... loving it, hating it, critique of this or that... As you read or listen to the story, I want you to read it from the perspective of sabbath.

Where do you see the gift of sabbath in this story? 



In his book, Yearnings, Irwin Kula discusses the different ways people usually understand The Giving Tree, closing with a description of the one he has found to be least popular, in which the story is re-titled, "The Receiving Boy."

Here the boy-turned-man is able to voice his vulnerability and accept the care of the tree. He is unafraid of showing his dependence. He is joyfully dependent, freely expressing his weaknesses, needs, and dreams. This in turn evokes unconditional generosity from the tree... This interpretation touches the part of us that longs to be cared for unconditionally; to share our neediness with our hands fully open and our hearts exposed. When we can overcome our fears, and surrender in this way, the boundaries between giving and receiving can dissolve. There is an honesty and transparency between helper and helpee. When we receive, we give. When we give, we receive.

We are created to give and receive. In sacred time, sabbath time, we live simultaneously as giver and receiver. 

Is it harder for you to give or receive? What are ways that Sabbath Mission can help you balance both of these needs?

Sabbath Mission - Day 38

Jesus shows us what it looks like to live Sabbath Mission. Through his example, we learn that sabbath is not just a day; rather, a behavior, a perspective, and a rhythm of life. The four gospels provide us with a vision of Christ’s mission for the world. As Jesus lived out his own sabbath rhythms, bumping up against the order of Jewish law, he showed us what sabbath keeping can do for the world. He showed us where human lawfulness ends and God’s call for all creation begins. In the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus specifically handing this call over to his disciples in two places, just before he is handed over to be imprisoned and ultimately crucified; “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:17-18); and, when he meets his disciples again, in resurrection, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The call to live out this Sabbath Mission echoes beyond our understanding of time and space.

When we choose sabbath for our lives, we are making a point to live intentionally, not reactionary. We live lives of gratitude, care, worship, peace, and rest. We face those things we need to let go of and confess. Those things we idolize, or embitter us, and distract us from Sabbath Mission. We live watchful lives, paying attention to those moments where God's kingdom breaks in.

Sabbath is not only a gift; it is also the practice of sanctifying time. When we live in sanctified time, we live in holy time. In holy time, we are reoriented to the bearer of all time, and are sent out to live our lives pulsing in rhythm, in time, with God. Living to the beat of this rhythm of God is how we live God’s mission in the world. When we lose track of God’s time, we lose track of our mission in the world.

The church is mission. In a renewed commitment to sabbath practices and sabbath rhythms the Church is reborn with a deeper understanding of the Sabbath for daily life. In these moments of rebirth, the church can fully embody Christ in the world.

How has your personal commitment to the Sabbath Experiment reoriented your life? In what ways do you feel you have been reborn? 

When considering the Church in the world, what are some of the ways we, as a body, might benefit by a re-commitment to Sabbath Mission? What are some practical things we can do as a body to live out our Sabbath Mission better than we do now?

Sabbath Mission - Day 37

Some thoughts on mission...

"Mission is nothing but the one church of God in motion." - Wilhelm Loehe

A way of being church must emerge that orients the whole life of a Christian community around God's mission. The question that will drive such an emergence is, "What does it mean to be the church as we live?" - not as we think or remember or long for, but as we live as the people of God...What matters first and perhaps most is who we are: a people created, chosen, cleansed, claimed, and called by God in Christ. And we are who we are, for better or for worse, all the time, not just on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings. - Nathan Frambach

Both mission and sabbath lead us to a reflection of our whole life - our intentions, our purpose, and all of the ways we "walk the talk". Both mission and sabbath bring about a reorienting process, offering us an opportunity start fresh in the new life we were created for. Sabbath and mission are complementary. We cannot have one without the other.

What are the ways you see "the one church of God in motion"? What are the ways you see sabbath rhythms fitting into this motion?

Rest & Distraction - Day 34

There are many obstacles to rest, but one I haven't mentioned yet has to do with our use of leisure. It is in our fumbled up relationship with rest and leisure that leaves us confused, easily distracted, and unable to form a healthy use of rest in our lives. Leisure is not a bad thing. Distraction is not necessarily a bad thing in our lives either. It all has to do with our relationship and use of these two things. We need a strong understanding of the roles they play in our lives. When these things are mixed up without definition or priority, it's easy to slip beyond leisure into lazy. Our fear of laziness or being perceived as lazy then becomes another thing in the way of developing healthy rest in our lives.

Week 3: Worship & Idolatry - Day 15

Like sabbath, worship and idolatry are two words that we may think we know, but probably haven't spent much actual time defining in our lives. Instead, we probably have some generalized assumptions that make up our working definitions. The more generalized our working definitions, the easier it is for us to keep thoughts of worship and idolatry at an arm's distance, never fully immersing ourselves in what those definitions mean for our lives.

Martin Luther's Explanation of the 3rd Commandment

As we continue to prepare for our season of sabbath, consider Martin Luther's explanation of the third commandment. Luther will begin with an introduction and history of the Sabbath day for Jews and Christians. From there he moves into discussion about sanctification and what it means to "hallow the day of rest" or "keep it holy" (depending on your translation). He closes his explanation with a focus on the centrality of the Word. 

Working Definitions

We all begin somewhere. I've acquired quite a few working definitions of sabbath over the past few weeks. A working definition is the definition we work or live from, perhaps not exactly as written in a dictionary, but based on our personal understanding and purpose. I've collected these definitions to gain an understanding of our starting point. I'm not only concerned with the definitions, but the ways we describe these definitions for ourselves. 

If you haven't participated in the survey, or recently taken the time to write our your own definition of sabbath, I encourage you to do so now.... 

What is sabbath? 
Do you think of it as a gift, an add-on to the rest of your week, or something else?