Illustration results for Sabbath
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The 31 Hour Day According to the behavioral, attitudinal, aspirational OTX LMX Study: “The 24-hour day has given way to 31 hours of daily activity, as consumers multi-task everywhere (home, work, on the go) at any time, while diverting their attentions across multiple media platforms to communicate, gather information and be entertained.” (Media Post 4/3/08)
Nap Alert NASA research showed that the performance of pilots increased 34% after a 26-minute afternoon nap. John Pearson’s Your Weekly Staff Meeting 3/10/08)
Americans Are Sleeping Less than they did 20 years ago, and about 50 to 70 million people nationwide suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders, reports the CDC. 10% of adults report not getting enough rest or sleep in any of the previous 30 days. Only 29.6% say they got enough rest or sleep every day in the past month. 13% aged 18-34 report insufficient sleep every day in the past month vs. only 7% of those 55 and older. A separate National Sleep Foundation study found the average adult gets 6 hours and 40 minutes of sleep each night; adults need 7-9 hours, teens 8.5 to 9.5, and children, aged 5-12, need 9-11. About a third of those surveyed fell asleep or became very sleepy at work in the last month. The average worker gets up at 5:35 A.M., leaves for work at 7:50 A.M., and goes to bed at 10:53 P.M. The CDC suggests, “Stick to a regular sleeping schedule. Sleep in a dark, well ventilated room at a comfortable temperature. Avoid stimulating activities within 2 hours of bedtime. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the evening. Avoid going to bed on a full or empty stomach. See a doctor if you are having chronic sleep problems.” (Pastors Weekly Briefing 3/7/08)
Someone wrote that exhaustion is: The feeling that if I had to do it all over ag...
THE DAY IS HOLY ALREADY
"Let the church members behave like Christians seven days a week, and it is likely that the Sabbath will take care of itself. For how do you make a day holy? By seeing that it is holy already and behaving accordingly."
Smoke On The Mountain by Joy Davidman, 1953 The Westminster Press, Philadelphia
A parishioner called his vicar up, very angry on a Monday morning. "Rector," He said "I tried to get you on Friday, but you weren't in."
"It was my day off," the vicar replied.
"Day off?" the parishioner stormed. "The Devil never has a day off."
"Well, if I didn't have a day off," the vicar rejoined, "I'd be just like him!"
There is so much to do in the Church that we are in danger of burning out -- if we try to do it in our own strength.
SABBATH VS. LITTLE LEAGUE
The NT changes several things about the Sabbath. However, it is wise to observe a time of rest and worship.
A couple of years ago Roman Catholic Cardinal John O' Connor took on Little League baseball because many altar boys were missing Sunday services. He wanted them to stop having games on Sunday. Oh, the firestorm it started. The issue played out on the pages of the New York Times, where parents let the archbishop know exactly what they thought.
R. Albert Mohler Jr gave this commentary: "The erosion of Sunday observance is the result of a decline of Christian conviction. A loss of faith preceded the encroachment of the little leagues. If enough parents refused to let their children play on Sundays, the leagues would have to adjust. Committed Christians know Sunday is the Lord's Day- the day set aside for the worship of God. The Lord's Day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and looks back to his atoning death as savior. A secular society has no use for a day of worship. The problem is a lot bigger than the archbishop thinks."
WHAT'S A BURDEN?
What a "burden" is according to Scribal Law (re: Sabbath observance):
* Food equal in weight to a dried fig
* Enough wine for mixing in a goblet
* Milk enough for one swallow
* Honey enough to put upon a wound
* Oil enough to anoint a small member
* Water enough to moisten an eye-salve
* Paper enough to write a customs house notice upon
* Ink enough to write two letters of the alphabet
* Reed enough to make a pen ...
WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN
A study by the US National Commission on Sleep Disorders blamed half of all traffic accidents on tiredness. Put that together with our penchant for speeding, and the result is carnage on the roads. Annual traffic fatalities now stand at 1.3 million worldwide, more than double the figure for 1990. Though better safety norms have cut the death toll in developed countries, the UN predicts that traffic will be the third leading cause of death in the world by 2020. Even now, more than forty thousand people die and 1.6 million are injured on European roads every year.
(Honore, Carl (2009-04-14). In Praise of Slowness (Kindle Locations 137-141). HarperCollins e-books. Kindle Edition.)
GOD HAS A RHYTHM
God has a rhythm. Everything has a rhythm. The universe has a rhythm. The planets in our solar system have a rhythm. The earth has a rhythm. The seas have a rhythm. The four seasons have a rhythm. Our bodies have a rhythm. Our heart has a rhythm. Our lungs have a rhythm.
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
Example: Have the drummer follow this lead. God says, "Remember my rhythm." Work six days; on that seventh day rest. Beat the drum hard for six beats then rest. Repeat a few times.
