Time to stop

Norah Summers September 27, 2026 0 0

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Deuteronomy 5: 12-15 (NIV-UK)

12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

I love the idea of the Bible as a Library, an actual place to go — a place to meet God. A sanctuary of rest, a storehouse of wisdom, of connection to the past and guidance for the future, ancient words still relevant today – take the Ten Commandments . . .

When I was in Primary School we learned a portion of a Psalm and a question or two from the Shorter Catechism as part of our homework and had to recite them next day. In the Catechism were extra questions - ‘What is required? What is forbidden? What are the reasons annexed to the ‘-th’ Commandment?’

I didn’t understand much of this, but had the firm impression from the community in which we lived that the Keeping of the Sabbath was probably the most important thing. My Dad was a Church of Scotland Minister and had three services on a Sunday so the afternoon was certainly a time of rest in our house!

I still think it is wise and useful to have a day, or at least a time, of rest. It won’t always be Sunday – some folk do have to work, like our daughter in the NHS, but time out is so necessary. Now that shops are open and football and other sports take up the day there seems little respite from the busyness of the week.

Every day needs a bit of peace and quiet – perhaps a few minutes to engage with the Sanctuary First offering for the day? I don’t do early mornings, but the Daily Worship sets me up for the day (along with the second coffee). A friend gets up, makes a cup of tea, takes it back to bed and prays and reads her Bible. My late Mother-in-law used to put on the kettle and sit down quietly when everyone else had gone to bed. I know folk who say walking the dog is an opportunity to switch off the buzz and just be. (OK, it does rather depend on the dog . . .)

Jesus himself had the balance sorted – when his disciples — shock, horror! — plucked some ears of corn, he told the scandalized Pharisees ‘the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’.

Take your Sabbath rest whenever you can and give thanks to God!

Prayer:

Loving God,

Thank you for the example of Jesus.

Help us to get the balance right,

to work and relax,

to look after ourselves

so that we may return refreshed to the task you have before us.