Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. The day we call Saturday, and why even now Saturday is typically a “day off.” The Hebrew word for Sabbath means “to cease, to come to an end, and to finish.” In Genesis, it refers to God having completed the work of creation and declaring that the work was good, indeed it was very good. After that, God “rested on the seventh day.”

Now I am wondering, “Can I ever have a Sabbath rest?” Must I have finished something first that is close to being good? Or do I just  stop, breathe, and rest?

In some way I guess I want to earn my Sabbath, to feel like I deserve it because I’ve done something really good. Each year as I go on vacation, a Sabbath of sorts, I am grateful for all who have said, “You deserve it, have a good time off.”

Preparing for holiday, I think about all that isn’t finished. So how dare I go on vacation! And I’m not only talking about my profession as a minister. There is the yard work. There is a fence that needs to be painted. There is the junk that needs to be cleaned out of the garage. Nothing is finished. Much of it has never been started. But I’m going on vacation – yahoo!

What do I leave (un)finished?  A lot. Some examples of what is still incomplete – learning our new web site and how to make it work, worship planning, pastoral care which by its nature never ends as needs are great (this is part of what makes it hard to be away), and the ongoing conversation with St. Andrew’s United Church.

Wayne Muller in, Sabbath:
Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives, says, “When we consecrate a time to listen to the still, small voices, we remember the root of inner wisdom that makes work fruitful. We remember from where we are most deeply nourished, and see more clearly the shape and texture of the people and things before us.”  Sounds good, eh?

Not really, not for now. It sounds expected but to me not good. Still small voices, roots of inner wisdom – I get it, but I’m confused. That’s part of my work! To be attentive, to seek wisdom, and to gain a good perception is part of what I am called to do. Really, it’s everyone’s  vocation.

So, for now, on my upcoming rest, here’s my agenda:

1. Play
2. Hike
3. Eat
4. Enjoy beauty
5. Have fun
6. Get wet
7. And most of all, cherish time with my son and wife

I’ll be back and maybe, just maybe I’ll get something finished. Then Sabbath…that good feeling that something good is finished.