Whatever hemisphere a person lives in, Winter is a season of long nights and short days. Located as I am in the Northern hemisphere, I witness winter turning colder, Canada Geese flying south, Monarch butterflies migrating, bears hibernating, and humans… well, I don’t know about you but I’m tired, and low on vitamin D. Some of us seem to have a serious case of “the Decembers,” thus, while we might sing, “it’s the hap-happiest season of all” that sentiment doesn’t ring true for everyone.
If by chance you’ve gathered with me at St Luke’s online or on-campus over the last couple of weeks you may have observed that this year’s Advent season has captured my imagination and doesn’t seem to wanna let go. I’m seeing and feeling connections that I haven’t noticed in prior years. So I thought I’d offer one such “connection” I’m sitting with currently: the relationship of the season of Advent with Sabbath rest.
Sometimes I struggle with rest. All too often I slip into trying to find meaning or my identity in the things I do rather than in the truer reality that I am a beloved child of God, a loved member of God’s family, and a vital participant in God family business. I’m sensing that Advent might be an invitation to practice a form of Sabbath rest, to bear witness and to anticipate encounter.
From the beginning of Genesis we see the importance of Sabbath rest. God creates rest as vital part of life; not only does God create rest but God calls rest “holy”, and then the story tells us that even God rests. Yet very quickly life-giving Sabbath rest was disrupted. Part of the curse in Genesis chapter three notes a disordering of humans’ relationship with work; tending to believe our value is linked to what we produce. By the time the Divine gives God’s people a few commandments to build their culture around, Sabbath rest is included in the list. Think about that! If I had the chance to create ten commandments, I’m not sure I would have thought to include Sabbath rest.
Not only does God include Sabbath rest in the ten commandments, it appears that God strategically placed Sabbath in the list. God’s invitation to practice sabbath rest bridges the first few commandments regarding one’s relationship with God, together with the last few commandments regarding one’s relationship with others. It appears that resting in our relationship with the Divine seems to better prepare us to be in relationship with others. We need intentional down time. We seem to need time remember who we are and to imagine the kind of people want to be. So my thought experiment has been holding the lament and waiting of Advent together with Sabbath rest.
As you know, Advent is the beginning of the church year. The church year begins not with the birth of Emmanuel (God is with us), but with a brief season of lament. We bear witness to the reality that our world, and our lives in are need of the presence of Christ.
As you may also know, the observance of Sabbath begins Friday at dusk, just moments before the evening sun sets. Sabbath rest begins as shadows give way to darkness, with slowing down alongside one’s community, and with preparations for the dawning of a new day.
Sabbath and Advent; both beginning in dusk, both beginning with anticipation and preparation for what is to come, both beginning with the lighting of candles, both inviting us to remember while opening ourselves up to encounter.
This Advent season as you anticipate encountering the light of Christ in the most shadowy parts of your heart and life, I invite you to intentionally hold space to rest and remember.
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle,” said Francis of Assisi. Into
the darkness the light is come.
Peace, dwight
