Remembrance as Resistance

Have you ever had your phone start glitching out on you? Or maybe it was a TV, computer, or some other piece of technology. You get so frustrated because it isn’t working the way it was intended to. Finally, you decide to just turn it off to give it a break and try to reset it. Amazingly, it seems that most of all the problems we face with technology can be solved simply by resetting them. 

As history has progressed we have made humankind into a machine of sorts. We ferociously see how much efficient performance we can get out of ourselves and others. We are trying to conquer our lives and our world. This relentless pursuit does not end. We just keep pushing on and through whatever life throws at us so that we stay at “peak performance” 24/7/365. Until…we crash and burn out.

We know machines need to be reset, yet even in our machine-making of humankind, we don’t reset ourselves.

In Exodus 20:8-11 we see the 4th commandment given to God’s people: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” This command is uniquely positioned in the middle of this list demonstrating its integral nature to a way of life that works for ourselves and others. Even though this command comes in a list filled with  “thou shalt nots” it begins with a much softer “remember”. It is as if God knows that we are inclined to forget the life-giving rhythm and get sucked back into the vortex of production and consumption.

To understand this command fully we must look back to the first thing in the decalouge that God invites his people to remember…Egypt.[1] God wants to be prioritized and he does not want his people to fall back into the mindset of following Pharaoh’s desires of endless production and consumption they were literally enslaved to.[2] It was a culture fittingly embodied by the pyramids where the Pharaoh and the few at the top benefited from the many at the bottom.[3] We must also look forward to the commandments that follow sabbath-keeping. The following 6 commands focus on loving our neighbors by abstaining from immoral and improper behavior against them.[4]

This commandment is critically intertwined with our love of God as well as our love of neighbor.

So, how do we remember the sabbath? Well, first and foremost…we stop forgetting about it, making excuses, and neglecting it altogether. It is amazing how the life-giving rhythm of the created world written within the fabric of our DNA, modeled by God himself, and on visible display throughout all of creation somehow vanishes from our minds.

Secondly, when we remember that the Sabbath is a thing we have to actually practice it. Sabbath means “to cease, to rest” and as I explored in my previous blog “rest” is the Hebrew word menuha which is far richer in its meaning than our American understandings of rest. Yet, we often don’t want to rest because we have become enthralled with the world of commodity.[5] We think “If I worked one more day….think of all I could accomplish!” Sure, you could…but how many things are you saying “no” to by saying “yes” to working one more day?

It seems harmless to “keep on keepin' on”, but the damaging effects are only hidden to us in the moment but will inevitably be to our long-term detriment. We get so stuck in this perpetual motion that when we do finally stop or are forced to stop, we fail to enjoy the menuha and go right back to work. We think of to-do lists and shopping lists. Our notifications snap us out of our enjoyment and seeing the messes about our house puts us on edge and we must go clean them up right this very moment. We are so hurried and fast that we really struggle to stop.

But, true sabbath-keeping is not just about stopping everything; it is also about starting with the holy.

When we do remember the sabbath and prioritize it, how do we keep it holy? Well as you might imagine, there are a few “don’ts” but the good news is there are a lot more “do’s” than you may be thinking.

1) Stop your work. This could be your job, housework, or even volunteering. If it feels like work and is not refreshing you need to cease.

2) Don’t create work for others. When we buy and sell things on the Sabbath we are forcing others to work for us and our benefit. However, this also means that we cannot be emailing and texting co-workers because “I just had to send it while I was thinking of it.” Because then we ruin their rest and refreshment. 

3) Relax. The Sabbath is not a day of worrying or making plans; it is a day meant to enjoy the present moment.

There are many ways you can relax and enjoy the blessed and holy day of the Sabbath.

1) Rest your body.[6] Sleep in, take a nap, or just sit and be still.

2) Replenish your spirit.[7] Go for a walk, read a good book, eat good food, laugh, play, and do whatever else may fill your cup.[8] This is a great and holy reason to pick up a hobby or prioritize it in your life.

3) Restore your soul.[9] Take time to worship the Lord, reflect, pray, or some other spiritual discipline that rekindles your relationship with your maker.

The Sabbath is a blessed and holy day available and waiting for us if we remember it.

Remembering to sabbath resists our cultural compulsion towards commodities for communion. It is a statement of prioritizing the soul and God above the rulers of this world. It is a divestment of selfish desires for the sake of the well-being of the whole community. It begins to rewire you to stop focusing on things of this earth that will fade and rather fix your gaze on the eternally significant and life-giving gifts. It is a day of receiving through remembering to resist the culture of productivity and consumption. 

Each week you choose what you wish to resist…the rest and refreshment of the sabbath or the exhausting and endless culture of commodity. Which will you resist this week?

Grace and Peace,

Austin

[1] Brueggemann, Walter. Sabbath as Resistance: Saying no to the culture of now. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Barton, Ruth Haley. Sacred rhythms: Arranging our lives for spiritual transformation. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2022.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Lyons, Rebekah. Rhythms of renewal: Trading stress and anxiety for a life of peace and purpose. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019.

[9] Barton, Ruth Haley. Sacred Rhythms