A Sabbath Vision

I have been reading Barbara Brown Taylor's book, An Altar in the World, and have found her chapters on "Vocation" and on "Sabbath" extremely interesting - probably because I have given a lot of thought to both over the years.

Living in Jerusalem made me very aware that observant Jews spend their Sabbath not cooking or lighting fire, not driving a car or even being driven in a vehicle, not pushing an elevator button or talking on the phone. Knowing this made me wonder how I, as a Christian, should be spending my day of rest, which happens to be Sunday?

Barbara Brown Taylor has also given a lot of thought to Sabbath rest. In her book, she writes:

... I think it is good to have a Sabbath vision... Here is mine...

At least one day in seven, pull off the road and park the car in the garage. Close the door to the toolshed and turn off the computer. Stay home not because you are sick but because you are well... Take a nap, a walk, an hour for lunch. Test the premise that you are worth more than what you can produce - that even if you spend one whole day being good for nothing you would still be precious in God's sight - and when you get anxious because you are convinced that this is not so, remember that your own conviction is not required. This is a commandment. Your worth  has already been established, even when you are not working...

It is hard to understand why so many people put "Thou shalt not do any work" in a different category from "Thou shalt not kill" or "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," especially since those teachings are all on the same list... No, I will not earn my way today. No, I will not make anyone else work either. No, I will not worry about my life, what I will eat or what I will drink, or about my body, what I will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?