First Steps – Monday, August 30, 2021

In a few days it will be Labor Day –  a holiday born out of the late 1800’s to honor the American worker.  For me, Labor Day is an opportunity to reclaim the importance of Sabbath.  Though many reduce Sabbath to a single day of rest, the concept is larger than a day.  It was given to help establish a proper rhythm for life.  Sabbath is about boundaries and margins. Both work and rest complement each other and hold each other in check.  We need them both but, in an appropriate balance.

In Genesis, God is seen as working and resting—a rhythm (Genesis 1 & 2). In Exodus 20, the Children of Israel are commanded to “remember the Sabbath day.”  This practice was to help them remember that they were no longer a commodity—they once were in Egypt under Pharaoh.  They lived as commodities for so long that they saw themselves as only the product of their hands.   

Everyone needs a rhythm and to be reminded that they are not a commodity.  Work, Rest, Work, Rest…that is the rhythm.  You are more than a commodity; therefore, why live beneath what God desires for you? This week reclaim your true value as a person in God.  Work and Rest are equally valuable, especially when they are held in balance.  


 


This Week’s Readings:

  • Monday – Luke 21
  • Tuesday – Luke 22
  • Wednesday – Luke 23
  • Thursday – Luke 24
  • Friday – Acts 1
 
Please Pray for:
 
  • Our world as we are still dealing with the Covid Crisis.
  • Parents, teachers, and students as the 2021-2022 school term gets underway.
  • All upcoming ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul.
  • Families in crisis.
  • Loved ones battling illness.
  • Those seeking to find their way.
  • The St. Paul Church family.
  • The United Methodist Church family.
  • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6