We have talked a lot about the need for rest…the main way we see that spoken of in the Bible is Sabbath rest – one day in seven, one year in seven.
In Judaism, this was very structured and supported by cultural and societal norms. Jesus’ approach seemed to be to peel away the layers of societal and cultural norms, all the rules that had been developed over the years, and simply return to the God-given command to rest on the seventh day.
This was his usual routine – where humans focus on actions, in hopes that it will change hearts, Jesus wants to focus in on the heart. Jesus wants to mold hearts to want to know and follow him, and where that then transforms their actions.
This makes taking Sabbath rest both easier and harder.
It’s harder, because just blindly following rules isn’t all that hard, especially when everyone else in society follows them as well.
It’s easier because of the freedom we explored last week…freedom from slavery to rules, replaced by a new kind of obedience, to a person rather than a code. Jesus gives rest from enforced rest – he gives true rest.
We can see it in how Jesus handled the crushing demands of his own work: Mark 6:30-32 ESV
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.”
He took rest when he needed it, we have several examples of unstructured rest that he took “regularly”. When I found I’d been sitting too long at an office job, I used to go for a walk around the block from my office. I called it my sanity walk. Or at other times, I would just get up and do something different. Working from home, I might empty the dishwasher, then get back to my computer refreshed from the change of pace.
We also see Jesus taking weekly rest. “He went to synagogue to worship on the seventh day. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom.”
It was Jesus’ “custom” to take weekly Sabbath rest according to the rules of his father in heaven, and not according to the rules of the Pharisees.
We also see Jesus living with an annual rhythm. He celebrated the annual feasts – we see him attending Passover in Jerusalem, for example. As he travelled to and from various religious festivals, there are ebbs and flows in his energy and work – the big moments in his ministry regularly coincide with major festivals. Sometimes he is in small towns, sometimes in the city. There were intense times and places and low times and places in his culture…and his ministry needed both.
The Bible also commands a year of rest after six years of work – not to lay around, but let the land lie fallow and improve, and let slaves and debts go free. There was also a command that every 50 years, a complete reset and leveling of the playing field should occur. Unfortunately there is no evidence they ever listened to and observed these.
Let’s not let the same thing happen to us!
Question: What rest can you plan for today? This week? This year? Now dream a little bit – what could a “reset” year look like this decade? What about for the whole of your life?
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This week we’ve studied four practices of the first church community. Should we copy them?
Some try – indeed sell everything, gather daily, etc. just like in this book. But most don’t.
Most Christians agree this sets a pattern and principles, and those principles are what is meant to be emulated, not the exact circumstances.
Churches in our world today will take on these practices in various ways.
The Apostles’ Teaching and Fellowship
Some churches have many readings from the Bible, a short sermon. Some have one short reading, and a very long sermon about it. Some focus on studying the bible in groups at home, others in groups at church, others in groups on GO Trains like us. What matters is continuity with the apostles’ teaching.
Breaking of the Bread
Some do this weekly, others less frequent. Some have one common cup, or even a precious chalice, while others have individual portions in smlall cups. Some consider it a symbol and reminder, others see it as a precious moment of heaven touching earth when God’s actual presence is made tangible.
Prayers and Worship
Some churches focus on common prayer – many people praying the same things at once. Others focus on individual prayer, everyone praying using their own words and thoughts.
Common Life
Some churches try to live this out verbatim, but not many. I know some people building a co-living building, where many families will live in their own spaces, but share eating and cooking areas, playrooms, etc. They are trying as much as possible to share life in this way. But others see this as a practice of generosity – retaining ownership, but sharing as others have need.
There is lots of variation within each practice. What matters most is that the practice is preparing them for their mission…living and telling the good news of Jesus in the world.
These practices are essential to being a church, a community of people following Jesus. You might have been surprised, many of the most visible elements of modern church life are missing!
But for any church, these are the principles they need to continually recover and refocus. Our church is going the opposite way – starting with these practices, preparing us for our mission in the first place, and then our challenge comes later in maintaining this focus.
Challenge: With whom can you gather to start adopting these practices? As a small group, and as a large group. Which of these four would you find hardest, and easiest?
