Sabbath

It is late Saturday night, just back from the hospital, and I am wanting to tell you how deeply meaningful reading books on the sabbath has been for me. As I think about tonight, and tomorrow, I think of that. We don't really get it right, I am sad to admit, but I come back often to the theological depth and importance of Marva Dawn's Keeping the Sabbath Wholly and the lovely elequance of Dorothy Bass' Receiving the Day: Christian Pracitices for Opening the Gift of Time. Gene Peterson insists that Heschel's Sabbath is an all-time must-read. On this topic, thank goodness, there are some old ones and great newer ones. But, you know, I think I won't take the time or energy to describe them. Tomorrow will be a hard day for me, I think---back to the hospital---and I pray for grace and hope. Beth, for those that know us, is close to her dad, and the kids are, too. And even if family crisis was not part of the days toil, it is sabbath-time already...

So, here is what I think: if you are reading this on Sunday, why not just shut down the darn computer, quite doing this stuff, and go take a walk or get out a novel or write a letter to your congressman, or listen to an old album, or make some fun recipe and give it to your neighbor, or take extra time to pray or laugh or take a nap. You know the drill. Just do it. Or don't do it, as the case may be.

And--note this, as I don't say it often: don't order anything from Hearts & Minds today. We don't check our emails on Lord's Day, anyway. So there. Amazon-Mart-dot-you-know-what is open 365 and, you know, it just ain't right. Peace.