Day Three: Fast and Slow

In my most recent reading through the Old Testament, I was struck by how much the Sabbath was mentioned. In fact, I started to think that God is a bit obsessed with it! Why? It is clear that resting is one way that God wants his followers to stand apart from others. Resting requires trust. It affirms our essential creatureliness and God as creator. Practicing Sabbath affirms each week that we believe God is ultimately in control and that our human efforts are not the be and end all of our existence.

I also believe that we see something essential in God’s love for us that he wants us to experience rest and all the blessings that come from it. We can all relate to how busy and “fast” certain seasons in ministry are. How kind of God to mandate a “slow” day each week! Our bodies and our spirits desperately need it!

Eugene Peterson suggested that prayer and play are to be our focus on the Sabbath. What a mandate! Pray—sink deeper into time with God where you have a bit more leisure and time to meander and luxuriate in God’s presence. Enjoy reading scripture slowly or practicing centering prayer for longer than you have time for during the week.

And then play! What do you love to do? What sparks creativity? What makes you laugh? I love sewing a quilt while listening to Broadway musicals. Or making cards while listening to a book on Audible. My husband and I love walking the dog in the woods on our Sabbath or trying a new recipe. And these Sabbath activities prevent burnout! When we rest well, we do better in ministry for the long haul. So maybe we need to get more obsessed with Sabbath observance since God is!

In the midst of ministry moving fast, the Sabbath is the way to interject slowness. Grow and develop your own ability to move fast AND slow!

To access Janice’s FREE reflection sheets to accompany these devotionals, go to https://janicemcwilliams.com/reflection-guide/