Week of Sabbath I, Day Seven, Evening Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

God of All,
You are holy, and I bow before you. Thank you for keeping me safe this day, and for the many opportunities I have faced. I pray that my actions have been pleasing to you, and that I have blessed the others whom I have met today.
Amen

Reading: Matthew 9:10-13: All are welcome at the Lord’s table

And as Jesus sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

Meditation:

One of the great gifts my mother gave to me was that she never picked my friends. Well, once, but it turns out there was a good reason for that. Except for that time, Mom let me hang out with all kinds of folks, and learn for myself which ones I should spend time with.

The Pharisees could take a lesson from my mother. They thought they could tell Jesus and his disciples who the “right sorts of people” were. They were appalled that he would hang out with riff-raff like tax collectors and other sinners.

Jesus offers a good reply—“the tax collectors and sinners are in need of my teaching.” But the rest of the good news here is that we are all sinners. Really, that’s good news. It’s a level field, and we can all be called into Jesus’ ministry of love and healing. There’s no point picking certain folks to hang out with Jesus, because the truth is, we’re all the same, and we all have need of him.

--How do you need Jesus today? Spend some time hanging out with him in prayer.

Prayer of joy:

Lord,
You are the best friend of all! Thanks for wanting to hang out with me, and with all the other misfits like me. I’m so glad that you love me, and I feel blessed that you have called me into your kingdom.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Seven, Morning Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord,
Make me an instrument of your will this day. Help me to look to you for guidance, and to lean on you when my patience is thin, or my anger is quick. Grant me the peace which is found in you.
Amen

Reading: Micah 6:6-8: What does the Lord require of you?

‘With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Meditation:

Virtually every religious system asks folks to “make an offering” of some kind. Usually the offering is designated to God, or to various gods (in polytheistic systems). Buddhists, who don’t worship a particular god or gods, leave food offerings for dead relatives. Native Americans make offerings to the Ancestors, for rain, sun, protection.

Jews offered several kinds of offerings. The Torah goes to great length to describe the proper offerings for different occasions and festivals, and the proper preparation of all of those offerings.

In Christian churches (and many others today), “offering” usually refers to a monetary gift, most often given to a particular congregation.

All of these offerings are important ways to show our devotion (and pay our pastors—don’t let me downplay the importance of that). But the prophet Micah reminds us that no offering is as importance as the call to justice, kindness, and humility before God. Those gifts make the lives of all people better, so they are closest to the heart of God.

--Which of the three is hardest for you? Why?

Prayer of Joy:

Creator God,
You have made this day precious, and my whole life holy. I give you thanks for all of the blessings of the day, and all of the people I will meet. I will walk humbly with you this day, following your call to justice and kindness, and offering the world the blessing of my loving presence.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Six, Evening Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Gracious and holy God,
I pray that I have made a difference today. I pray that I have touched someone, made someone’s day better, lifted someone’s spirits. As I rest, may I be refreshed and renewed, so that I might be a blessing to someone again tomorrow.
Amen

Reading: Luke 6:24-26: Woe is me.

‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Meditation:

These woes are all hard to take. Odds are, we can all see ourselves in the former categories, as the objects of woe. We might not be rich…but we’re not so much hungry.

I find the hardest of the woes to be the last, though. To be honest, I want others to speak well of me. Psychologists developed the term “people pleaser” for those folks who want to be liked, but it’s one of those terms like “dysfunctional family” that tend to be liberally applied. Most of us are “people pleasers.” We want other people to like us, to “speak well of us.” The alternative is rather unpleasant, actually.

Surely Jesus doesn’t want people to speak ill of us? Not at all. What he does want, though, is for us to speak the truth to a world which doesn’t always want to hear it. The final woe is a reminder not to offer the false promises of the false prophets, who secured their places in the courts and temples by saying whatever those in power wanted to hear.

It’s hard to “speak the truth in love,” as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians. First we have to know what the truth is, by taking to heart the teachings of Jesus—even the hard ones. Then we have to be willing to stand up, to speak up, to call the world to a better way than the way of riches and false prophecy.

--How are you able to speak the truth in love? Do you think others hear you?

Prayer of joy:

Lord of Love,
I give you thanks this day for all of your teaching—the simple and the difficult. Grant me the strength to seek the truth you offer, and to share that truth with the world. Free me from worries about what others will think, and lend me your strong voice. For your call is a call to true prophecy, for the sake of all of the blessed ones.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Six, Morning Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord of light,
Shine on me. Fill me with your love, shower me with your mercy, and deliver me from the darkness of sin and despair. You are my rock--the foundation of my life. I rest upon your strength, and I lean upon your wisdom.
Amen

Reading: Luke 6:20-23: “Blessed are you”

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

Meditation:

On the way to church last week, we passed a man gathering up his makeshift bedroll and his meager belongings underneath a freeway overpass. It was a striking snapshot of homelessness—a man living in the richest nation on earth, who spent the night sleeping on a pitched concrete slab.

In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus beatified that man. He lifted up his eyes on the man, and called him “blessed” (Latin: beatus, “blessed” or “happy”—that’s how the “beatitudes” get their name). I could almost imagine his words reverberating across that concrete, gathering that man in, as the man gathered his tattered things. “Blessed are you!” Jesus shouts at the man.

Did that man feel the blessing? Or did he feel more strongly the ambivalence of all of the people who drove by while he tried to sleep?

Surely some of those people were moved, as we were. But, like us, none of them stopped. We had places to be. Places other than the presence of that blessed one.

Prayer of joy:

Lord of All,
You have compassion for the invisible ones. You call blessing upon the least of these, the ones who are overlooked. May the world begin to embrace all of those whom you embraced, and to bless those whom you blessed so long ago.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Five, Evening Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Spirit of love,
You touch the quiet places in my soul, with your presence and your healing. You know the healing which I need, the ways in which I am troubled, hurt, and angry. Enable me to receive your healing touch, and to be renewed by your love and guidance.
Amen

Reading: Luke 6:17-19: Jesus teaches

Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Meditation:

This reading introduces Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, the much-less-well-known cousin to the section of Matthew’s gospel called the Sermon on the Mount. I actually prefer Luke’s telling of this story, for two reasons. The first is that first line: “Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place.” That seems to me to encapsulate the ministry of Jesus. He “came down to a level place,” became human, just like us. He advocated the leveling of all of the hierarchies of society. He taught that all people—priests and prostitutes, saints and sinners, temple scribes and tax collectors—were worthy of the love of God and each other.

This is amazing teaching. Some have called it a teaching ahead of its time. It is surely a teaching ahead of our time, when so many hierarchies still exist.

--Spend a few moments imagining this “level society.” How would our lives be different? What would you gain in such a world? What would you have to give up?

Prayer of joy:

Lord Christ,
What a wonderful vision you have put forward for the whole world—a society of equals, a rainbow of different folks all working together for the good of all. Thank you for offering this vision to us, and for inviting us to be a part of it. Thank you for calling us to something better.
Amen

Week of Sabbath, Day Five, Morning Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Merciful God,
I know that you are present for me, but sometimes I feel distant from you. Help me to feel the immediacy of your love, and to reflect that love back to all of the people I meet today.
Amen

Reading: Psalm 51: God’s mercy and our renewal

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Meditation:

When I was a kid, we used to collect pop bottles and turn them in for the redemption value. As I recall, even back then it was a nickel a bottle. We’d get enough money for our own pop, and some kind of snack (Snickers, anyone?). It was a very clean transaction, except for those sticky, dirty bottles.

This psalm operates on the notion that we can simply turn our sticky, dirty souls in to God, and God will redeem them and give us new ones. The psalmist actually believes that he can just ask God for forgiveness of any sin, and God will grant it, straight off.

He is correct. God is ever-merciful, and ever-loving. Nothing we can do is unworthy of God’s cleansing love and forgiveness.

--Are you carrying something around that you can turn in to God for your redemption? Hand it over. Then go have a Snickers and celebrate being loved that much.

Prayer of joy:

Loving God,
It is sometimes hard to believe that you are ready to forgive me anything. What about the things I do which seem unforgivable? What about that thing I said yesterday? Can it really be true that you will cleanse us of any sin? You truly are an awesome God.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Four, Evening Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Blessed Lord,
I am your servant. Lead me onto your pathways, nudge me in the direction you would have me go, and lift me up when I stumble. I depend on you, even as I turn to you with all of my heart.
Amen

Reading: From Luke’s gospel, chapter two: Glory to God in the Highest!

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 -->Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 -->But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 -->to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Christ+e --> the Lord. 12 -->This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13 -->And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, army+e --> praising God and saying,
14 -->‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.’peace, goodwill among people+e -->

Meditation:

Babies are so tiny and so fragile. So it’s always kind of a surprise when they open their mouths.
Having done a lot of restaurant work, I know that a baby has the power to redirect the attention of everyone in a room. Usually in good ways—by the power of their absolute adorableness. And sometimes they command a room by the power of their lungs.
The point is, babies are a great paradox. They are simultaneously fragile and powerful. Which is probably why the fulfillment of God’s promise came in the form of a baby. Because the promise is full of power, and still it is a delicate thing. It requires our attention, our assention, our best effort.

--How can you hold the power of the promise, and care for it as well?

Prayer of joy:

Gracious One,
I give you thanks for the gift of the baby Jesus—the perfect vision of your promise. May I continue to kneel at his feet, just as wise men and shepherds did so long ago.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Four, Morning Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

God of hope,
Lift me up when I am weary. Take my hand when I stumble.
Sometimes I feel like crawling back into bed. But I know that you have made a beautiful day just for me, and that this day will be all that I make of it. May I make it a testimony to you, my rock and my redeemer.
Amen

Reading: Amos 9:13-15: God’s promise

The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who ploughs shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed;the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them,
says the Lord your God.

Meditation:

I chose this text, the final words of the prophet Amos, as the main text for my ordination service. I spent days (no kidding) reading through scripture, armed with my concordance and my shiny new seminary education. I’m still happy with the choice.

These words, which shout out God’s promise of bounty, salvation and safety, seemed perfect to me. I didn’t choose them for myself; I chose them for the community which had gone against the odds (and against the rules) to offer me the chance to be their pastor. Their call was a perfect illustration of God’s promise, which is made not to the rich and powerful, but to those who are without wealth and power, those who are still captive in a foreign land. Our congregation, Abiding Peace, released me from captivity to a church candidacy system which asked gay and lesbian candidates to choose between truth and call. I still burst with gratitude when I think of what a great thing they did, and not just for me. They gave hope to so many, and so many have followed our lead.

I’m proud of that. Probably sinfully proud, since surely it was God at work, and not us. But still I am proud, and grateful, and just as delighted today as I was back in 2000, at the amazing opportunity to lead this great people, the community of Abiding Peace. I truly believe that there is no greater group of disciples of Jesus Christ, and they are still the living picture of God’s promise for me.

Prayer of joy:

Glorious Lord,
You have trusted us with your ministry! What a wonderful opportunity that is! Thank you for gifting us to do your work, and for offering us such a perfect template to follow. We are the children of the promise, and we promise in turn to be the best disciples we can be. In the name of our God, the Redeemer Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen

Week of Sabbath, Day Three, Evening Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord of All,
The things of this world can impose on us, keeping us from seeking your guidance, and drawing us down the pathways of greed, contempt and selfishness. The good news is that we desire to do your will. Help us to turn to you for the strength to withstand the cares of the world, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things.
Amen

Reading: Mark 4:10-20

10 When Jesus was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12in order that“they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand;so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’

13 And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

Meditation:

I’m always amused by the first line of this passage. “When Jesus was alone, those who were with him along with the twelve…” Huh? Was he alone, or were there well over a dozen people there?

Of course, we all know that it is possible to feel alone in a room full of people. Sometimes we don’t know the other people very well. Sometimes we feel alone because we think we’re unworthy—because we think others in the room are smarter, or funnier, or have better jobs, or are better looking than we are.

One of the great things about the great parable which we’ve heard today is that it levels the playing field. Sort of. Mark’s Jesus makes the distinction between the disciples, who have been “given the secret of the kingdom of God,” and the other folks listening to Jesus, who must receive their teaching in parables. But the parable itself teaches us that anyone can be good soil for the Word of God. Anyone who hears the word and takes it into his or her being becomes a rich growing field for the work of the spirit.

--How are you good soil for God’s Word?

--What helps you to be good soil?

Prayer of joy:

God of all grace,
Your Word lights my path, illuminating the way of righteousness and love. With you I am never alone, no matter where I am. Thank you for your presence, and for nudging me onto the right pathways.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Three, Morning Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Great and gracious God,
As I approach this day, help me to be good soil for your Word. May I bless those around me with pleasant words and kind smiles. May I be helpful to those who need help, and supportive of those who don’t—don’t let me be a nag, Lord. I know that with your help I can be a great disciple, a great friend, and a great citizen this day.
Amen

Reading: Mark 4:2-9, The Parable of the Sower

Jesus began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

Meditation:

The Parable of the Sower dominates Mark’s gospel. It is a great parable, and one of the few for which Jesus offers an explanation. We’ll hear the explanation in our second devotion today.

A parable loses something in explanation, since it works on so many levels. Let’s work the intuitive angle for now. Concentrate on the parts of the parable that jump out at you.

--Did you get a picture of one (or all) of the places Jesus describes? What do they look like?

--Pretend you are the seed. What does it feel like to be in those various places? And have you felt like that yourself? Where?

--Is this parable speaking a word to your life today?

Prayer of joy:

Precious Lord,
Thank you for this day! Thank you for my home, for the food I have to eat, and for the clothes I can put on today. I am truly blessed, and I give you thanks.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Two, Evening

Prayer for hope and healing:

Blessed Lord,
Even in times of drought, I am not always delighted to see rain. It is difficult sometimes to see the good in things like “bad” weather. Help me to remember to get outside of myself, to be grateful for that which helps others, even when it has no direct benefit to me.
Amen

Reading: Thich Nhat Hahn: “Meditation on Compassion”

Love is a mind that brings peace, joy and happiness to another person. Compassion is a mind that removes the suffering that is present in the other. We all have the seeds of love and compassion in our minds, and we can develop these fine and wonderful sources of energy. We can nurture the unconditional love that does not expect anything in return and therefore does not lead to anxiety and sorrow.

The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves “inside the skin” of the other. We “go inside” their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not enough to see their suffering. We must become one with the object of our observation. When we are in contact with another’s suffering, a feeling of compassion is born in us. Compassion means, literally, “to suffer with.”

Meditation:

There is never much to add to a Thich Nhat Hahn meditation. The Zen-master speaks as eloquently as anyone in our own traditions, often reminding me of a rabbi, and quite often reminding me of my favorite rabbi, Jesus.

I like this meditation because it offers the helpful reminder that compassion is a process. Becoming a compassionate person requires developing the “seeds of love and compassion” we have inside of us. We must “nurture the unconditional love” that each of us is able to show the world. And it won't happen in a day. But we can get a little better at every day.

--Did you make a step toward being a compassionate person today? What ways might you do so tomorrow?

Prayer of joy:

God of all love and compassion,
Thank you for showing us the way of unconditional love. You always love us, even when we might not deserve it. You are always ready to show us mercy. I give you thanks for the ways you have built and nurtured compassion in me, and I look to your guidance in becoming an even greater follower of your way of love and mercy.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Two, Morning

Prayer of hope and healing:

Blessed Lord,
Thank you for this new day. It is an opportunity to change the world. Let me touch the life of just one person today—making one life better by my words or my presence. I offer myself as a blessing to the world this day.
Amen

Reading: From Psalm 113, a song of praise for God, helper of those in need:

Praise the Lord!Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is high above all nations,
and the glory of the Lord above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high, who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
God raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of God’s people.
God gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

Meditation:

God promises, throughout scripture, to care for those who are in need. Many readers of the Bible find there a “preferential option for the poor,” meaning God offers extra concern for those in need.

--How different would our world be if all of our leaders had a “preferential option for the poor?”

The Psalmist praises God for God’s care for the poor and needy. God should be praised from morning to night (in a pair of devotions, perhaps…). Certainly the Psalmist feels that the greatest thing about God is God’s ability to make the lives of God’s people better.

Perhaps the greatest thing about ourselves, as people of faith, is our ability to use our gifts and our faith to make others’ lives better.

Make someone’s life better today, if only by a kind word. Say a word of praise to God when you do it.

Prayer of joy:

God,
I praise you, from morning to evening, from the rising of the sun to its setting! You have created us, and the whole world, and the creation is amazing! Make me a blessing to those I will encounter today, so that I might become a part of your mission of uplifting. Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day One, Evening Devotion

Prayer for healing:

God of grace,

You are our light in darkness, our hope in times of despair.

Help me to remember that you are present with me always, and to call upon you when I am in need. Forgive me when I doubt you, and when I fail to trust in you. Amen

Reading: From Exodus, Chapter 16: The giving of bread and Sabbath

On the sixth day the Israelites gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.”
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and instructions? See! The Lord has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day the Lord gives you food for two days; each of you stay where you are; do not leave your place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.

Meditation

I can remember being a child, in those long days before Christmas. I’d go into the living room, paw through the brightly wrapped boxes underneath the Christmas tree, and find the ones with my name on them. And then the next day, I’d do it all over again. As if some of my presents had disappeared overnight. I just didn’t trust that they’d still be there.

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God sent them food for each day. The seventh day was to be a day of rest, though. So on the sixth day, God sent a double portion, so that the people would have enough food for the next day. Still there were those who went out on the seventh day to collect food, as if they did not believe God’s promise of abundance on the sixth day and rest on the seventh. They not only missed out on food for that day, but they missed out on the day of rest which God had provided by giving so amply the day before.

It’s hard to trust in things we can’t see. It can be hard to believe that God cares for each of us (yes, you) so much that God would provide for us individually. But God has provided so many great gifts for us—the gifts of love, family, friendship, community, and the promise of eternal life.

--How does trusting in God free us to be better servants of God and the world?

--How can you practice trusting in God’s promises this week?

Prayer of Joy
Holy One,
Thank you for the gifts you have bestowed upon me. I give you thanks especially this day for _________________________ . And I dedicate these moments of sabbath rest and meditation to you, who gave us the gift of the Sabbath. Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day One, Morning Devotion

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord God, I offer this time of prayer and meditation to you. Through it, may I come nearer to your love, and feel more deeply your grace. Help me to slow down, to hear your call, and to live into your love and mercy.
Amen

Reading: From Exodus, Chapter 16: The giving of bread and Sabbath

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because God has heard your complaining against the Lord.
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Meditation

The Israelites were thankful when God rescued them from their captivity in Egypt, and led them into the wilderness. But soon, the wilderness got old. This passage falls six weeks into their wilderness time, when they were hungry and tired. They complained against Moses and against God. In return for their complaining, God’s love and mercy were revealed. God sent meat, in the form of quails, and bread, in the form of manna.

--What has God provided for you? Spend a few moments thinking about how God has blessed you in the last week.

Prayer of joy

Lord God, you provide for our every need. We praise you for your glory, revealed to Israel in their desert food and to us all in the salvation we receive in Jesus Christ. Thank you for your steadfastness, your constant love, your unending mercy. Thank you for seeing through our grumbling to the soul of our love for you. Amen.

Mission Statement

So what is this whole "Ten Minute Sabbath" thing all about?

Put simply, it is an opportunity to pause, turn our attention to scripture, prayer and meditation, and fulfill God's will. God gave us the sabbath, as a rest from the busy-ness of life. God also commands that we observe sabbath. Indeed, God asks us to take a full day for sabbath rest each week. Some are able to fulfill that request; most are not. But our inability to make a full sabbath day each week shouldn't deter us from seeking sabbath where we can. Surely God is pleased whenever we step back from life, however briefly, for quiet rest and reflection.

So what you will find on these pages is an opportunity to observe sabbath, just as God commanded. Each day has two devotions. Each devotion offers a chance to pray, to read a sacred text (some will be biblical, and some will not), and to meditate upon the wonders of our faith and our lives.

You are welcome here. Please use these devotions however you are able, and may God bless your ten minute sabbath.