“On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day…Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2-3 NKJV).

I would never consider myself a counterculturist or radical. And yet, the idea I offer you is outside the norm in today’s world. I invite you to unplug, close your calendar, step away from work responsibilities, stay home from shopping, and rest! Set aside one day a week, stop what you are doing, and experience Sabbath.

Sabbath is not a new subject in my writing. Some months ago, I urged you to pause. Observing Sabbath has been part of human tradition since the giving of the Ten Commandments. And yet, it is a novel thought in the 21st Century. The emphasis is on how much we can cram into our schedules. The thought is that the more we do, the more productive we are, and, perhaps, the wealthier we will become. Advertisements urge us to multiply our activity, our spending, our commitment to technology.

I remember that there was a vast increase in labor-saving devices in the 70’s and 80’s. It was reasoned that people would have so much extra time with modern conveniences. The dilemma of the future seemed to be how we would spend all our extra time. It seemed probable that we would be living with a four-day work week! It is almost impossible to imagine today and yet… maybe we could go back to a “six day work” and “one day off” schedule.

Human beings were not built to be on the move 24/7. The more you push, the less effective, alert, and productive you are. I remember this principle from high school and college when I stayed up late to finish school papers. I might put in more hours, but the work became sloppy and less coherent. I used a lot more white-out (does that still exist?) the later it got.

God worked six days and finished all His creative activity, and then He rested. Human beings appeared on the scene on Day Six, so their first day was one of rest. God blessed three things: creation, humans and a time of rest.

If you want to be adventurous, if you would like to forge a new path, if you would like to have more energy, joy, satisfaction, peace of mind: remember the least practiced Commandment. Set aside one day a week to worship, enjoy family, create a space to breathe. Sunday is a good option. It is not an easy practice to revisit, but it is well worth the effort to rest!

Barb Yorks, White Pine/Trout Run UMC