Daily Office Readings for Holy Saturday: Year 1
Morning, Psalms, 95 and 88; Evening, Psalm, 27;
Job 19:21 to 27; Hebrews 4:1 to 16; Romans 8:1 to 11;
“So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.” (Hebrews 4:9 to 11)
I got so caught up in my Good Friday service and preparation for Easter Baptism that I completely forgot what day it is. I’ll do better. Now, having said that and looking over the readings for today, Holy Saturday, the idea of Sabbath stayed with me.
I don’t want to confuse worship with Sabbath. We Christians worship on the First Day of the Week, Sunday. And for many, worship is work. However, in entering God’s rest we should cease from all our labors as God did from his, according to our text above. For me, this means a time of simple contemplation. Also, the words above make it very clear that “a Sabbath rest still remains [in effect] for the people of God.”
Today is the Sabbath Rest of God, it is a gift to us whether we are Jewish, Christian, or any walk of human life who believes in God. Frankly, even if we don’t believe in God, God believes in us. God gifts humanity with the Sabbath. It is holy. It is precious. It should not be ignored. This is how we are trained to enter into that Holy Rest of God for eternal life. The Sabbath is a part of Creation.
It is understood that some of us must stay focused on life’s important responsibilities, even during the Sabbath. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to duties like first responders, health care providers, police, the military and so forth. But a plan should be in place where such individuals could have at least an every other Sabbath rest. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia and our schools.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 