The Power of the Sabbath

The McRib is back!!!! Hallelujah!!! I love me the tasty McRib!!!

Also Shamrock Shakes!!!!

Life is good again.

I don't know if you take a Sabbath, or if you are familiar w. the concept.

The Sabbath is based on the precedent of God resting on the 7th days after 6 days of Creation. It then gets hammered in through Exodus and leviticus, to be a special day to be set aside as holy.

I take Monday as my Sabbath. That means I work Tuesday-Sunday. A lot of people ask me how I spend my time as a lone church planter.

Here's a run-down for Tuesday - Saturday:

7:00 - Wake up. Pray walk through Yaletown. I usually walk about 6 blocks through my community, praying and keeping my heart, mind and eyes open for whatever God wants to show me.

7:30- Shower, Breakfast.

8:00 - Devotional time - Prayer, Bible Reading, Meditation, Study.
I have been following Robert Murray M'Cheyne's bible reading guide for 5 years now. This particular guide helps your read through the entire Bible, New Testament and Psalms twice in one year. I also try to meditate and memorize a certain passage. I try to allow for at least 5 minutes of quiet prayer and centering.

I follow the Bible Reading and prayer with 30 minutes to 1 hour of study of a Christian book. Right now it is "Monk Habits for Everyday Christians".

After that - my day is divided up between the following:

  • sermon prep,
  • administration stuff,
  • meeting w. people from the community,
  • meeting w. people from Urban Sanctuary,
  • prepping for home group,
  • developing promo. and publicity material,
  • prepping for the Missional Training Group I lead for Vancouver, writing
  • meeting w. other pastors or ministry leaders
  • put Sunday service t
At around 4 or 5 I try to run or workout in the gym in my building.

I then take the evenings off, except for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays.

On Sundays, it is a bit lighter - I go over the sermon a few times, do some reading and usually have a nap before the service at 4.

I also have a whole schedule for writing the sermon which goes from Saturday to Sunday.

So... when Monday rolls around, I'm pretty much wasted. I spend my Sabbath resting - I'll spend a few extra hours reading. I'll go to a movie if there is a decent one playing. Or, if it's nice out go for a bike ride around the sea-wall. Or, hang w. the family doing something fun.

It is very very rare that I will do any kind of ministry stuff, or even meet with people from the church on a Monday.

And that is my theology of the Sabbath.

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