The Rest of God.
I just finished reading this book, The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan. It reads well, and there are two things that I have taken from this that are huge to me. One being the obvious, we need Sabbath, and it kills us to neglect it, but the other, how to listen in silence.
The most compelling thing about Sabbath to me is that it does not seek us out the way sleep does. If we don't sleep for long enough, no matter how hard we strive to avoid it, eventually, sleep finds us. However, if we avoid Sabbath, Sabbath avoids us. It is a gift. If it is ever about legality, it is dead, but it is haunting to see how this value is nowhere in my life and the lives of those that I do life with, those that are close to me. And there is no chance of it finding us without us seeking it out. There are some conversations that need to happen, begining with me and my wife, our family, how we will obey this command, accept this gift. I heard Donald miller and Rob Bell talking about Sabbath on two seperate podcast interviews, and I think it is something that is going to define this upcoming season in the Church in America.
It's interesting how we preach 'Devotions' or 'Quiet Time,' and the legality of it shines through on most Christians I know so much more than it ever feels like a gift. There was no command regarding this because everyone didn't have an NIV, ASV, the Message and Message Remix lining their shelves when they were camped at Mount Sinai. I see how this resurgence of accepting Sabbath as a gift long forgotten may replace some of the 'Do your devotions, dang it' banter that has plagued me my whole life.
The listening thing. Mark goes through some of the things that God says in the Bible, so that we can look for things that He might say to us when we listen. He talks about how praying should begin with listening. And after God created everything, the first 3 phrases out of his mouth are "Where are you?" "Who told you that you are naked?" "Did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?"
All questions.
God knows all, but asks us anyway. The only conclusion I can draw is that it's for our sake, not his. It's reflection. It's God directing us what to think upon. He lists some more:
"Where is your brother?" "Where are the other nine?" "Why do you call me good?" "Why do you call me 'Lord' and not do the things I say?" "Who do you say I am?" "What is it you want me to do for you?"
His next suggestion is to choose one.
Then, ponder it until you hear God asking you the question personally. And then ponder it until you can give an answer.
I don't know about you, but this fills me with life, knowing that I can take what God has asked, and listen to it, and run it over, and wrap my mind around it, and sputter out an answer, and let Him refine me.
I hope this starts showing up in the way people worship. I say hope, because to me, right now, that's what I feel for the future of my self, my family, my life, the Church. Hope.
The most compelling thing about Sabbath to me is that it does not seek us out the way sleep does. If we don't sleep for long enough, no matter how hard we strive to avoid it, eventually, sleep finds us. However, if we avoid Sabbath, Sabbath avoids us. It is a gift. If it is ever about legality, it is dead, but it is haunting to see how this value is nowhere in my life and the lives of those that I do life with, those that are close to me. And there is no chance of it finding us without us seeking it out. There are some conversations that need to happen, begining with me and my wife, our family, how we will obey this command, accept this gift. I heard Donald miller and Rob Bell talking about Sabbath on two seperate podcast interviews, and I think it is something that is going to define this upcoming season in the Church in America.
It's interesting how we preach 'Devotions' or 'Quiet Time,' and the legality of it shines through on most Christians I know so much more than it ever feels like a gift. There was no command regarding this because everyone didn't have an NIV, ASV, the Message and Message Remix lining their shelves when they were camped at Mount Sinai. I see how this resurgence of accepting Sabbath as a gift long forgotten may replace some of the 'Do your devotions, dang it' banter that has plagued me my whole life.
The listening thing. Mark goes through some of the things that God says in the Bible, so that we can look for things that He might say to us when we listen. He talks about how praying should begin with listening. And after God created everything, the first 3 phrases out of his mouth are "Where are you?" "Who told you that you are naked?" "Did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?"
All questions.
God knows all, but asks us anyway. The only conclusion I can draw is that it's for our sake, not his. It's reflection. It's God directing us what to think upon. He lists some more:
"Where is your brother?" "Where are the other nine?" "Why do you call me good?" "Why do you call me 'Lord' and not do the things I say?" "Who do you say I am?" "What is it you want me to do for you?"
His next suggestion is to choose one.
Then, ponder it until you hear God asking you the question personally. And then ponder it until you can give an answer.
I don't know about you, but this fills me with life, knowing that I can take what God has asked, and listen to it, and run it over, and wrap my mind around it, and sputter out an answer, and let Him refine me.
I hope this starts showing up in the way people worship. I say hope, because to me, right now, that's what I feel for the future of my self, my family, my life, the Church. Hope.
posted by Kurt Libby at 5:24 PM
1 Comments:
Hey buddy,
I like how you mention that we need to seek out the things that are good for us but what is easy isn't always the easy fix. It's just what our flesh wants. I get caught up in that mess sometimes myself. I get anxious and can't sit still. Yet, I think God just wants that anxiety to be given to Him in those times and He will bless those anxious times. Instead, I do what is familiar to me and easy yet get no positive results because I didn't obey.
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