As I continue to reflect on my thoughts from long ago, I am bringing my mind back to earth. Creation is just too big to think about now that we have so much information about our universe and all that it contains. While our earth is a tiny speck in our galaxy, I realize that I am a very tiny speck on this earth. I need to keep bringing my mind down to manageable portions of this planet or I can be overwhelmed.
In chapter one I wrote the following: “Once again, in a new era of creative chaos, it is time to stop trying to do things in the same old ways that do not work, and to do something new. This is not a matter of throwing out Christianity, but of reclaiming the Spirit of Christianity, and the purpose of Christianity. The trappings of Christianity have too often distracted us from its mission. And so, this book is about remembering; getting back in touch with the whole point of the enterprise called Christianity. The book is also about putting our creativity to work to restore and reorder Christianity to its purpose. There are many starting places for the undertaking called “remembering.” A very good way to remember and get back in touch with the call and purpose of Christianity is by first remembering the Sabbath. The starting point of our quest therefore is to reclaim and embrace the Spirit of Sabbath.”
It is not easy to keep any kind of Sabbath in today’s busy world. Yet I remain convinced that this foundational command to “remember the Sabbath” enables us to focus on what is important. (Exodus 20:8-11). The most important part of remembering the Sabbath is to remember who God is and who we are in God. In other words, God is the creator, not us, and this is God’s planet, not ours. As I wrote: “We are called upon by the Spirit of Sabbath to stop creating, stop doing the work of Creation, so we may know that all Creation belongs to God and God is the Creator. On Sabbath we remember we are waiting for the fulfillment of the Sabbath rest, when all is finished. The “Seventh Day” is yet to come. On each little Sabbath we have an opportunity to practice living in God’s fulfilled and completed Creation, as it will one day be, when the sea of chaos is calmed and at peace. Sabbath is a day to live totally in the kingdom of God, and not according to the systems of the world. Sabbath is the day to study and learn the ways of God and live by them. It is a time to live as if God’s ways have truly prevailed over the ways of the world, at least in our hearts.”
As I write today, I am preparing a liturgy for the First Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent is a time of waiting. We could say it is the time set aside to remember we are waiting for that “Seventh Day” to arrive. This first Advent Sunday we focus on hope. Hope is something quite different from wishing. When we hope for something, we expect that what we desire is possible in the future. What we hope for is achievable. When we wish for something, we express a longing for something that may never happen. Hope motivates me to take action while wishing leaves me yearning for what may never be.
Taking time out of our busy days to think about what it means to be a follower of Christ helps us remember what Christianity is about. We are called to partner with God to transform this planet, our country, our state, our neighborhood, our home, into a place of justice, peace, and love. Yes, transformation starts small, with each small encounter as we go about our daily lives, but this transformation can spread as more and more of us act in hope. We are either bringing God’s kingdom to earth by our actions, or we are not.
And so, we need to remember the Sabbath, remember to take time to remember what Christianity is about and be encouraged to live as Christians each day. The world will pull us in many different directions, and it is easy to get caught up in whatever culture that claims us. Living as a Christian is not easy in today’s world. There are many false prophets who claim to know the best way to live, and they can persuade us to ignore the gospel if we are not careful. They can persuade us to act in fear rather than love.
There are many prophets of doom and gloom that can send us into anxiety and fear if we forget to live in Christian hope and trust. As I wrote: “Too many Christians are busy about many things seven days a week and barely give an hour or two to thoughts about God, and often none at all to who they are in God. Christians are more like Martha than Mary; not sitting at the feet of Jesus, but busy about many things. Christians are rare who take one day a week to remember who God is, and to remember who they are in Christ. Christians may take a “day off,” but they seldom use the time as Sabbath. Most Christians are sleepwalkers in this life, forgetful of who they are and forgetful of their purpose in life – as Christians. We need to recover the gift of the Sabbath so we will have the time to discover and to maintain our identity as the children of God, and more importantly, our identity as the Body of Christ.”
Let us get back to the practice of setting aside time to remember what it means to be a follower of Christ that we may learn once again how to transform this world together. It is obvious that our planet needs us.
Bishop Kedda
Bishop Kedda 