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Key Bible Verse: All who enter into God's rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world (Hebrews 4:10). Bonus Reading: Heb. 4:113

I spent a summer on a moshav, or religious collective, in Israel. My wife and I lived with one of the families in their home. During the week we were involved in an archeological dig. On Friday afternoons, a pot of stew would be put on the stove to simmer, doors would be opened, and gates would be lowered at each end of the town's main street, blocking any traffic into or out of the small town for the duration of the Sabbath.

After dusk, people would sit down for their dinner and Sabbath prayers, and then stroll up and down the main street, stopping in to talk to neighbors.

During the week, these same people worked hard on their agricultural collective. But on the Sabbath, no work was done for 24 hours—not even shopping or talking on one's cell phone. This practice forces orthodox Jews to set aside time for connecting with one another, their community, and God. Something felt right about this rhythm. We are to work; we are also to rest.

—Robert K. Johnston in Life Is Not Work; Work Is Not Life

Adapted from Connect (Pantheon, 1999) by permission.

My Response: What time will I set aside to connect with my family, community, and God?

Thought to Apply: Sunday is the core of our civilization, dedicated to thought and reverence.—Ralph Waldo Emerson (poet)

Prayer for the Week

Lord, help me practice what Scripture commands by allowing time for rest and reflection, especially on your Sabbath.

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