God commands: Take your Sabbath

Sermon on Exodus 20:1-11 and John 2:13-22

I have many Jewish friends and acquaintances here in the US. And many of them are rigorous about keeping the sabbath. They will be offline and not answering their phones between Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 6pm. During those 24 hours they will not go shopping, not clean the house, not do laundry. It’s the day to rest.

Nothing more. Nothing less. It does seem foolish in our modern world where we feel like we miss out on almost everything if we aren’t fully up to date.

I have been watching them now for almost 2 years and I have moved from simply admiring them to seeing them as role models. Of course, as it often is with role models, I am far from following into their steps. Like really far. But I at least have developed a longing for that kind of a weekly break. For a true Sabbath.

That, for me, is not on Sunday. Because as much as I love our worship, it’s still work for me. Wonderful work, sacred work, but work. You get the point.

So, upon pondering about this weeks’ readings, something became clear to me. This Sunday marks my one-year anniversary with you all, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first year, for a more supportive congregation and for more loving people surrounding my family and I on this journey. And no, don’t worry, I am not about to announce that I quit.

Looking at the past year of ministry, everything literally was perfect. Except for my self-care as a pastor. Which is not surprising for a first call pastor or a first year in a new congregation or even any pastor. It’s kind of a disease among clergy to care for everyone else but themselves.

And then, I read the commandment of the sabbath again. And I realized that that really is a problem if I don’t take a sabbath. Some of you know that Monday is my official day off. Most of you also know that I have worked on every single one of them this past year. So, as I enter my second year with you all, I am determined to take a true Sabbath once a week. I am still working out the logistics, but it will happen. And if it doesn’t, please remind me to do it. Because if even God needed to rest who am I to say I don’t need that? Who am I to claim that I am so important that nothing can work without me? Who am I to miss out on a blessed day God specifically made for us? For our wellbeing and wellness.

As many of you are aware thanks to Melinda’s awesome table talk articles (that you, of course, all read with the greatest interest), a group of us is deeply invested in a Stewardship program called “Stewardship 365”, the Cycle of Blessings. And I promise, soon, you will be hearing much more about it.

Now, in this program, there are 6 blessings identified, that every vital church needs to have. There are the obvious like gracious leadership and money and time and place and relationships. And there are 2 that most of us probably wouldn’t have thought of at first. It’s the currency of truth and the currency of wellness. Honestly, when I read that wellness was one of them, my first thought was: Ok, what kind of post-modern spiritual stuff is that going to be? Are we supposed to host Yoga events and massages at church now? And manicures and pedicures? You see, I had a fairly narrow understanding of wellness. Mostly grounded in the lack of that kind of wellness during a pandemic. And also, the answer to my questions is basically yes, of you ask our coach Jake.

“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.”

Why? Because even God needed a rest after 6 days. Even God! Think about it. An almighty, all everything God needs a break to breathe, to recharge, to pause. I mean, imagine what God could have done on that 7th day. Resting seems to be pretty foolish. She could have given us magical powers, or unicorns, or ice-cream trees, or chocolate broccoli. Instead, she blessed the sabbath and called it a week.

Sure, none of this is new to any of you. Our sabbath is our Sunday, right? It’s the day we go to church. Which is great. I am glad to have you all as part of our community this morning. But, the important question is: Is today really a Sabbath to you? Does this service bring you wellness? If yes, in which ways? If not, what would? What’s missing?

By wellness I mean the state of being healthy physically, socially, economically, ecologically and spiritually. It’s a lot. It means that we are whole and holy in body, mind and spirit.

For our worship I invite you to consider some questions: Do you feel seen in this space via Zoom? Do you feel connected to this congregation? Do you get food for thought and nourishment for your soul during this hour on Sundays?

Is your body able to relax in this space? Maybe even so much that you fall asleep during the worship? Honestly, that’s fine with me. Especially if you are one of so many people wrestling with sleep disorders. If my voice and our music and prayers can help you get the rest you need, I am glad.

And, one last question for you to ponder. What makes worship more comfortable from the coziness of your home via Zoom? And how could we bring that back into our worship space at Christ the King. Like, many of you have been telling me that they really enjoy wearing comfy clothes on a Sunday morning. And sitting on their couch instead of sitting in pews. Like eating real bread and drinking a glass of wine or juice instead of a tiny wafer and a mini sip of wine.

To me, that’s part of wellness in body and spirit. Because we are bodies. Made by God. And our bodies need to be cared for. And there is no reason why we can’t bring any positive experience from this past year back into our sanctuary at one point. Imagine, couches and comfy chairs to sit in. Big chunks of fresh bread for everyone, glasses of juice and wine filled to satisfy our thirst. Wearing whatever you feel like. With or without makeup. For a time of wellness and worship, where we can show up as we are. To rest and to refresh. Just imagine how it could be if we wanted to make it happen.

In today’s Gospel Jesus throws a holy rant in the temple. It’s the only story we know where Jesus fights an institution with his bare hands. To restore wellness to people. In an act of performative art Jesus stops every activity at the temple. It’s like a sabbath forced upon the sabbath.

After this last year we all know that a forced sabbath doesn’t feel like a sabbat though. Remember the first weeks of the pandemic when we still euphemistically talked about the first lockdown as a lent for creation or called it a sabbath for the world? When I think back to March 2020 I don’t remember any sabbath feeling of wholeness and calmness. Just panic facing a suddenly interrupted life, destroyed plans, canceled tickets. I remember feeling restless and helpless, doom scrolling to make sense of this new reality, attending webinars and Zoom Zumba. Just to keep busy, to stay in control over my life that was turned upside down.

Jesus’ temple chaos is a sign that something else is important. That people are missing the point. That people are looking for a holy place where human life and divine blessing meet. And that that actually doesn’t depend on the building. No matter how beautiful and guarded it might be. Or how well staffed. It only depends on God. Where God wants to meet us. In your living room, in your garden, in your dreams, on a hike, while skiing, under the shower, in music, in silence, in bread and wine or whatever you are having for communion. God’s options to meet us are endless.

When Jesus is asked for the authority with which he drives everyone out, Jesus simply answers: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” If that doesn’t sound foolish, I don’t know what does. Of course, we all know, that Jesus was talking about his body, his death and resurrection. Which is another foolishness of God. To die at a cross to reveal his glory. To meet us in our pain and sorrow. And then to resurrect. After a sabbath of rest. Even in his death, God rested. And then resurrected. Renewed in body and spirit to be with us till the end of the days. That’s our God. A God of wellness and rest, a Sabbath God.

On Friday, some of us from CTK attended the virtual annual Abode Breakfast first thing in the morning. Which meant that I started into the day all teared up.

Because the stories of formerly unhoused people who have found homes through Abode were incredibly moving. One young father said: “When we first got to stay in a hotel room instead of our car, we got everything taken care of. We got 3 meals a day, someone cleaned our room and did our laundry, all of it. And I needed it all. For the first week I needed it all. And then, slowly, I started having the energy to get up, do my own laundry, clean my own room. And find hope again that there is a future.” He put into words what God intended us to have, because God knew we needed it. A Sabbath, a time to simply be and breathe and live. Not just survive. And then, see a future and a purpose again. That’s what our God wants for all of us. Our God of wellness and rest for all.

Amen.