When I was examined by presbytery for ordination back in 2007, one of the pastors asked me how I gave my wife Sabbath rest. I gave some kind of answer, and the exam moved on, but afterwards, the same pastor came up to me and told me that my answer wasn’t very good. He strongly urged me to take my wife out for a date regularly and to try to go away overnight more often than she would want to. I remember him saying, she will initially not want to because of how much it will cost or how much trouble it is to find babysitters or pack, but that I needed to do it anyway, and she would thank me for it later. And by God’s grace, we’ve aimed for that over the years and its been a great blessing.
We still make tweaks to our rhythms and routines, but I want to give the same exhortation to the men in the congregation: make sure you are giving your wife Sabbath rest. Sometimes this means having a plan for helping with dishes and cleanup after Sabbath dinner. Some of us try to have our big meal on Saturday night in order to minimize meal prep and cleanup on Sunday. Sometimes this means giving mom some free time on a Saturday to shop quietly or see a friend. Sometimes this means insisting on a regular date night and occasional nights away. Central to the Sabbath command is not only taking rest for yourself, but those in authority making sure that everyone under your care gets rest as well. Part of that rest is making sure your family gets here for worship regularly. And even though church (especially with little ones) can feel like a lot of work, it’s the kind of work that actually gives you rest in the long run. Many of you men make a point to do as much as you can to help during the worship services. And it’s real delight that so many visiting folks have commented over the years on how cool it is to see all the dads bouncing the babies at the back of church.
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27). The point is that there are ways of keeping Sabbath that aren’t actually restful or a blessing to your family. Just as Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and He used the Sabbath to heal and feed and bless, you want to do everything you can to do the same for your people. And that is what Jesus is doing for all of us here.
So come and welcome to Jesus Christ.
Photo by Seemi Samuel on Unsplash
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