Treasuring the Sabbath

So a few weeks ago, I mentioned the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.

You know, the very Jen Hatmaker who is ruining my life.

Yeah, that one.

Well, today I want to continue talking about this book, because it's messed me up (the newest catchphrase at our school).

We started the book with the last chapter, which sounds weird to begin with, but don't worry - it only gets weirder. The chapter we started with was about stress. For the last month, we have been pausing seven times a day for prayer, to remember who we are and whose we are.

Okay, so I sucked at waking up at midnight. Super sucked. So maybe it was more like six times a day.

Now I haven't decided if I'm going to keep pausing now that I'm out of the stress month. Something tells me I might need to, though, because the next month we're doing deals with food.

Here's the thing though: I really like food. And my wife. She's not only beautiful, but she's a great cook too - and I didn't even know that when I married her! Heck, I don't even think she knew it!

But to go an entire month only eating seven foods?

Eek. Necesito mucho... prayer.

Anyway... that's not actually what I'm here to talk about. Sorry for wasting the last 3 minutes of your life.

You see, I love the concept behind this book. We have too much crap. We need more space. Less stuff. More peace.

But as I continue on this journey to revolt against excess, I'm starting to see beyond the less and to the more. Less of me. More of Jesus.

This has most evident to me in our intentional practice of honoring the Sabbath.

I had several excuses before the last month as to why I didn't honor the Sabbath.

Excuse 1: That's Old Testament. Get outta here with that.

Mrs. Hatmaker, in her infinite wisdom, trashed that excuse from the get go with this passage of Scripture. She then proceeded to ruin my second excuse.

Excuse 2: Jesus broke Sabbath all the time. WWJD? Break it!

Makes sense, right? I thought this was an airtight argument until I read this. And then I realized something:

Crud, I'm not the Lord of the Sabbath, like that Jesus guy. Heck, I'm not even Lord of... anything!

And then I was out of excuses.

Enter in the Sabbath - an intentional day of rest. From sundown on Saturday night until sundown on Sunday night, we have rested with purpose, celebrating through Communion and worship with people around us who like Jesus like we do. We even lit candles while we ate and busted out our fancy wine glasses that haven't been touched since our wedding.

And let me tell you - I love me some Sabbath now. However, there is one, itty, bitty, tinsy, winsy thing that I forgot to mention. No working on the Sabbath. None. I don't even read books for school that I enjoy. Instead, if I want to read, I choose something to read for pleasure, for rest.

As a college student (and a working American in general) this complicates things a little. Regardless of how sacred the Sabbath is, Monday still means work. And for us, that still means homework. This hits on something, though, that the Old Testament talks about. You see, the Israelites observed the Sabbath, but in order to rest for 24 hours, they had to work overtime to collect food for the Sabbath.

Yup, you heard me right: the Sabbath actually calls us to work harder.

We're not talking about taking a couple extra hours of overtime during your 5 day workweek, either. 

No, when God commands rest on the 7th day, he implicitly commands something else:

Hard work... for each of the other six days of the week. 

Six. Not five. Not five and a half. Six. That means Saturday. And that means not resting on Saturday, but preparing for Sunday, when true rest can occur. It's been painful, to say the least. Kalyn and I both have huge exegetical papers due at the end of the month, so working on them (along with all of our other homework and housework) for six days is brutal.

But when that Sabbath sunset rolls around... Oh, it's beautiful. It's marvelous. And I wonder why I would ever want to ignore it.

So beyond denying myself, I learned something new this past month: a better work ethic than I ever thought possible. We aren't only called to work a 9-5 for 5 days a week. We're called to work our tails of for six days so that we can rest on the seventh.

Now I realize that the week is just beginning and that it may seem daunting, but won't you try it with me? Take the Sabbath to heart and follow what God instructs and implies.

You'll be surprised - your body will fall into a natural rhythm and it won't really seem that different. In fact, you may find yourself more well rested than you ever were before. Of course, it makes sense when you consider that true rest after doing good work was God's idea in the first place.

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Questions: Have you ever considered taking part in Sabbath rest? What are your thoughts on working hard for six days while taking off the seventh? How would better resting benefit you this week?

If you enjoy what you've read, I'd appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading! 

Doin' the Funk-Face

Lately, I've been feeling a little off. A little funky, if you will.

And no, not the Village People kind of funky, though I have those moods as well. 

No, this kind of funky looks like this hypothetical conversation that I had with my wife:

Me: *funk-face*

Wife: What's up?

Me: Nothing.

Wife: Okay... What's wrong?

Me: *emphasizing the funk-face* Nothing.

Wife: Are you sure? 

Me: Well, no.

Wife: I know what you need. You need to do some dishes. It's therapeutic, you know.

Me: Yeah... right. *extra funky funk-face*

Now, like I said, this actual conversation never happened, but it might as well have. I've just been in a mood these last few days. You know the kind.

I don't want to do anything, but I want to do something.

I'm bored, but if there's something to do, I don't want to do it.

I feel like eating, but I don't want any food.

And the face is undeniable:

So maybe I overemphasized the fish-lips. But you get the point.

When I'm in a funk, I'm restless like a 13 year old who's tasted Mountain Dew for the first time.

Somehow, though, I managed to snap out of the funk today. Which is lucky for you, because this post wouldn't exist, otherwise. I'm not sure what did it, though. It could have been...

Getting a new lens and taking pictures around the house.

My wife's concern over the funk-face.

Getting to see the in-laws and celebrate my birthday a little early.

Really, though, I think it was probably a combination of the three, mixed in with some good, old-fashioned rest. Again, I'm thankful for Jen Hatmaker's book, 7, which is teaching me more about pausing and resting every day, and especially during the Sabbath. But more on that later.

For now, I'm looking to you. 

First of all, what does your Funk-Face look like?

Secondly, how do you manage to snap out of a funk if you're in one?

I'm legitimately asking, because I'm pretty clueless as to how I can snap myself out of these funks when they happen. Of course, maybe listening to a little Village People would do the trick...

Or maybe not.

... ... ...

If you enjoy what you've read, I'd appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading!

Concerning Mrs. Hatmaker

Jen Hatmaker is wrecking my life.

It started about five days ago.

Somehow, by some supernatural force, Mrs. Hatmaker weaseled her way into the life of one of our best friends. And somehow, someway, she convinced our friend to convince my wife to convince me to participate in the challenge presented in her book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess.

Jen Hatmaker is a very convincing woman, apparently.

When she wrote this book in 2011 she knew. She just knew that she was going to ruin me.

First of all, she's starting by taking away my sacred Sundays and forcing me to spend it resting. And actually going to church! Ridculous, I say! I'm American! I work every day, around the clock, and only stop for coffee!

And then there's this this prayer nonsense we're doing as a part of the chapter on stress. She's treating it like it actually matters. Apparently she missed the memo that we get when we become Christians that says, "We only say we'll pray - God doesn't actually expect us to do it." Who actually wastes time with such an antiquated ritual, anyway?

And seven times a day?! What are we, monks? C'mon, Jen. I have really important stuff to do, like checking my Facebook compusively throughout the day. If I'm praying seven times a day, how do you expect me to know every intimate detail of my friends' lives?

And while I'm thinking of it: I love the number seven. But now, something tells me I'm going to grow to hate it. Just one more thing to thank Jen Hatmaker for...

And this stinkin' book just. keeps. going. 

After the stress chapter I have to basically stop eating food for a month, only getting to choose 7 foods to eat.

And then after that I have to dress like a flippin' hobo, only getting 7 pieces of clothing to wear.

And then Mrs. Jen attacks my spending habits. And my sacred media. And my possessions. And my waste (which I obviously have none of - c'mon, Jen). This is my life, Mrs. Hatmaker, and I'm not sure why you insist upon ruining it for oh, so long.

Will the mutiny ever end?!

This is gonna be a tough one, people. I'm thinking I'm going to have to add this challenge to my 52 in 2012 (which I guess would make it 53). If I don't make it, you'll know who to thank. But before you do, let me be the first to say it:

Mrs. Hatmaker, you've officially ruined my life, and for that, I thank you.

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Questions: What do you think about the idea of simplifying your life? Do you think we live in excess? What's so bad about having so much? How can you simplify your life today?


Interested in the book? I'm giving it my highest recommendation - a billion stars out of a billion. BUY IT! (And no, I get nothing for this - Jen Hatmaker and her publisher have no idea I exist)