Sabbath

I am intrigued with the idea of sabbath. When I was a kid, I think my dad went through a "sabbath" period, but the concept got so caught in contradiction that it just didn't last long.

Can you watch football on the sabbath? That seems restful. Until you think about all of the people that are working - including the players - to make watching football possible. And when my dad went along with the football he wanted to watch on the sabbath, but not the shopping that I wanted to do on Sunday, it was pretty easy to point out the gaps in his reasoning. Without a set of guidelines or a sense of what the sabbath is meant to be, the whole concept sort of gets lost in a wishy washy film of nothingness.

I recall Bible stories about what work can be done on the sabbath. This is not a new question. But for me, it is a personal question. And suprisingly, I am having a hard time answering it.

The only formal religious services that regualarly reach and inspire me are about an hour drive from my home. And sometimes, sabbath for me is making the drive and immersing myself in the formal worship. Two hours of drive time costs me some eco points, but I always come home with a sense of purpose and connection.

BUT WHAT ELSE IS SABBATH? Maybe for me, it is baking bread. Or reading a book. Or taking a walk with a friend. Or avoiding news. Or catching up with a friend over the phone. Or exercising. Maybe anything that grounds me in a sense of the sacred and a connection to others is sabbath.

What is sabbath to you?