FulLife Devotional
Mudhouse Sabbath
by Lauren F. Winner
Chapter One: shabbat | sabbath
"But there is something, in the Jewish Sabbath that is absent from most Christian Sundays: a true cessation from the rhythms of work and world, a time wholly set apart, and, perhaps above all, a sense that the point of Shabbat, the orientation of Shabbat, is toward God."
As Winner writes, it appears as if the "sabbath" is making a come back and becoming quite popular, even in the secular world. But I have to agree with her when she points out the two flaws in our reasoning to keep the Sabbath: (1) we choose to rest one day a week in order to be more productive during the other six, and (2) the contemporary Sabbath is aimed to honor us instead of God.
It's true, isn't it? We're told to rest and focus on ourselves for a day. We're encouraged to take that time off and do whatever energizes us so that we can get more done throughout the week. But that isn't what the Sabbath was meant to be, my friends. Is it possible that we've missed the point entirely?
What can we do to reclaim the Sabbath? How can we make it less about us and more about Him? What do you need to do - or not do - in order to set that time apart?
Chapter Two: kashrut | fitting food
"While Christians are not bound by the particularities of deuteronomic dietary law, we may still want to pay attention to the basic principle that underlies kashrut: God cares about our dietary choices.... At its most basic level, keeping kosher requires you to be present to your food."
Many Christ-followers take a moment before they eat to say a prayer of thanks to God for the food that is before them, as well as to "bless the hands that prepared it." But how many of us quickly devour that food, without really tasting it? How many of us pay attention to where our food is coming from, or how it was prepared?
In this chapter, Winner offers many different ways to "keep kosher" as a Christ-follower - not because we have to follow certain rules, but because we are supposed to take care of our bodies, because God cares about every aspect of our lives, because we are called to be good stewards of the resources He has given us.
Would you be willing to put one of Winner's suggestions into practice this week? How can you become more "present" to your food? How can you encourage others to do the same?
Chapter Three: avelu | mourning
"What churches do less well is grieve. We lack a ritual for the long and tiring process that is sorrow and loss."
If you've lost a close friend or relative, you can probably relate to the opening story in this chapter. The support seems to come at you all at once, as friends and church members surround you and send you cards, as they take care of the house or take care of your meals for a few days.
But then... then they disappear. And you are left to deal with your grief and sorrow on your own.
Yet... wait a minute. I'm sure we've all been guilty of just that: leaving someone to deal with their grief and sorrow on their own, forgetting to check in with them, to pray for them. Why? Because we're embarrassed? Because we don't want to "cause them any pain?" Because we don't want to bring the subject up?
Don't you think that "the topic" is consuming their minds? By ignoring it, we are communicating that we don't care about them, that we don't love them enough to ask the tough questions.
As a church... as a family... as an individual, what will you do to help others grieve? I hope that it's more than just sending a card...
Chapter Four: hachnassat orchim | hospitality
"And so the invitation that we as Christians extend to one another is not simply an invitation into our homes or to our tables; what we ask of other people is that they enter into our lives."
Asking people out to lunch or to have coffee... not so hard. Inviting people to join us at a SuperBowl party... not so hard. Allowing people to see us as we are... hard.
And yet... do you know someone who has done just that? Someone who has invited you over to their house when it was "a mess"? Someone who asked you to join their family (who may or may not get along very well) for lunch? Someone who not only asks you about your life, but allows you to ask them about theirs?
Imagine that "hospitality" is a line. On one end of the line is "looking at others and saying hi", in the middle of the line is "inviting people out to lunch", and at the other end of the line is "inviting people into my life". Where do you fall on that spectrum? What can you do this next week to get closer to inviting people into your life?
Chapter Five: tefillah | prayer
"Sometimes it is great when, in prayer, we can express to God just what we feel; but better still when, in the act of praying, our feelings change."
Prayer is a difficult concept for most believers to grasp. We're told that it's simply a conversation between us and God... and in some aspect, it is. But it is so much more!
Have you ever found yourself being changed through prayer? Perhaps you start out telling God what a horrible day you've had, and that you just wish a certain person would stay out of your life... only to find that, by the end of your time with Him, you feel a new love and compassion for that person and are determined to try again?
Have you ever been hurt or confused... and through prayer, find yourself comforted because you acknowledge that God is a sovereign God who is taking care of you and growing you?
Have you ever prayed for some thing over and over again, hoping that your dream would come true or that an opportunity would come... only to realize that your dream has changed and you're headed down a different path?
Prayer is a conversation, yes, but it is a conversation with our God who can use our times of prayer to draw us closer to Him, to align us with His will and purposes, and to make our hearts more like Christ. The question is, are you giving Him an opportunity to change you?
Chapter Six: guf | body
"What I want is to pay more attention... to my body and the things it does every day and the connections between the work of my body and the daily service of God."
Did you ever notice how much it takes for you to write a note? Your brain must think of the words to write, translate the "spoken" word into the "written" word, then send signals through your arms and to your hands, and each finger works together to move and write a specific word on a page... while the other hand typically holds the paper in place. Your eyes follow along to ensure that you are staying on the paper. As you write, you also try to spell things correctly, and to write it clearly enough that someone else can read it.
All that... and more, I'm sure... to write a note.
Our bodies are incredible works of creation. Every movement, every thought is possible because God created us in a specific way. And ultimately, we are to use our bodies to serve Him.
How is your body being used in service? Are you using your hands? your mind? your heart? your feet? If not, how can you begin to?
Chapter Seven: tzum | fasting
"Fasting is not meant to drag us down, but to still us. It is not meant to distract us from the really real, but rather to silence us so that we can hear things as they most truly are."
Engaging in the spiritual discipline of fasting is confusing to most Christ-followers. We find ourselves focusing on our growling stomachs, or the food in the kitchen, the wonderful aromas wafting in the air from the restaurant as we pass.
But that's why it is called a discipline. We have to intentionally focus on God, on listening for Him, on looking for Him. When our stomachs begin to growl, as Winner wrote, we remind ourselves that our truest hunger is not for food, but for God. He is the only thing that will satisfy us.
If you've never fasted before, start small. Skip one meal. Use that time to read the Bible or to pray, or use that time to serve others in a soup kitchen or other similar place. Don't just work through lunch; that defeats the purpose. As you incorporate this discipline into your life, I trust that you'll find yourself hearing "things as they most truly are."
Chapter Eight: hiddur p'nai zaken | aging
"Scripture suggests that memory happens in community."
Have you ever sat with a group of individuals who have been part of the same church for years, even decades? The stories that they can share about how God has acted in their lives are nothing short of amazing. We hear these stories and are reminded that God truly is at work among His people. That He has been for centuries.
But how often do we stop and listen to the stories? How often do we "younger folk" engage ourselves in activities that involve more than our own generation?
Although I can see a couple of benefits of age-specific ministry, I also realize that by separating people according to age/generation, we are taking away a chance for them to learn from other generations. Everybody, at any age, can learn something from other generations - both older and younger.
I am involved in some groups where I am the youngest person there - by about 10 years. I am also involved in some groups where I'm considered one of the "adults" meant to shepherd and lead the "younger folk." And I'm excited to be a part of all those groups because I am allowed to learn from those older than me as well as those younger than me.
Are you interacting with people outside of your generation? If not, where can you start?
Chapter Nine: hadlakat nerot | candle-lighting
"Candles seem to create peace. You don't find candles lit in frenetic houses; you find them lit in houses where people are trying to pay attention."
One of the activities I missed most at college was being able to light candles in my dorm room - they were a fire hazard. Now that I'm out of college, I can assure you that I light candles regularly. They help me relax, they help me focus.
There's just something about sitting in a room with no sunlight, no lamps... only candles. It makes the world seem less harsh. It reminds me to pray for those I work with and those I'm close to. It engages me in a conversation with God that never would have happened otherwise.
It's more than just candles, though. It also means turning off the television or the radio, keeping away from the computer, consciously slowing down and entering into a sanctuary. How often do you enter your sanctuary? How often do you engage in conversation with God? What's standing in your way?
Chapter Ten: kiddushin | weddings
"Marriage, after all, is not just a change in individual circumstances. The new husband and wife will relate differently to one another, to be sure, but they will also engage the community differently..."
It's currently summer time, which means that weddings are happening left and right. And for those of us with friends and relatives getting married, I'm sure we have had those moments when we thought, surely nothing will change. Our friendship will remain just as close. We'll still be able to get together and hang out.
And I'm sure many of us have realized how ridiculous that line of thinking is.
Of course, things are going to change! For those of us who see friends and relatives get married, we have to be careful not to place unrealistic expectations on them. Does that mean your friendship is not as strong? No, it just means that it is different. It's a chance for your friendship to grow... as you adjust to the changes and continue supporting each other.
Have you placed any unrealistic expectations on your friends? If so, I encourage you to see how you can still support your friend while allowing him or her to adapt to the changes that have taken place.
Chapter Eleven: mezuzot | doorposts
"...the sign tells you that I am a person who is trying to be a Christian, and in telling that to you, I am inviting you to hold me to it."
We may not have signs above our doors that announce we're Christians, but we do have bumper stickers, t-shirts, license plates, and more that communicate the same idea. Personally, I find it frustrating... and even embarrassing... when someone sports some sort of Christian emblem and yet fails to act in a Christ-like manner.
You've seen them. People who yell at the wait staff of a restaurant. Parents who scream at their kids in the middle of the grocery store. And the sad part is, most of them don't even realize what they are doing. Even worse, most of us won't walk up to them and hold them accountable. Our culture has created a principle that says, "This is my business. You stay out of it." But as Christ-followers, we are called to walk together, to hold each other accountable, and gently correct when we need to.
Do me a favor... Have the guts to follow Christ's example in your own life. And have the guts to walk up to someone and lovingly take them aside to explain why their behavior is inappropriate. Sometimes, it's the only way we learn.
- Kari Lee
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