St. David's Episcopal Church | The Rev. Frank Allen | June 18, 2015
Creation Out of Nothing

 

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."                Exodus 20:8

 

Dear People of St. David's,

 

I pray that you are well and want to encourage you to a pattern of life that causes me the greatest challenge - rest. I am the worst Sabbath breaker that any of you can imagine. I rarely take a whole day off. I often joke when challenged about this that "I have a gift for work" and so I don't need to take the Sabbath seriously. When I take a day off, it usually gets filled with little projects and errands and to-do's, so much so that I am often glad to get back to St. David's and a more normal pace of activity.

 

Remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy or separate is one of the Top Ten Commandments because God knows that our lives are better when we take a break. It is good for our metal health. It is good for our spiritual and emotional health. Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Top Ten Commandments because it's a way that we can model a healthy lifestyle to a world overly focused on getting ahead and working too much. It reminds us that there is something other than our work including family, friends, quiet and stillness. Keeping the Sabbath is a Top Ten Commandment because if we practiced it, it would be a moment of evangelism or an easy way to talk about God, as our friends and neighbors would be asking why we aren't working 24/7.

 

Remembering the Sabbath each week is one of the surest ways of opening our lives to God. Taking a break means that we are open to something and someone other than ourselves and if the scripture is clear about anything, it is that God likes to create out of nothing. God does some of His best work when there's some empty space. When you and I take a Sabbath, we open our lives to the God who creates out of nothing and who will use our open space for His good purposes.

 

Now that you know one of my major areas of sin and why it's shortsighted and spiritually weak on my part not to keep a Sabbath, pray for me and for yourself. Remember to keep the Sabbath and I will, too. Imagine all that God can do in us and through us, if we simply give him the space in our lives!

 

 

Grace and Peace.

 

Frank Allen

 

 WORSHIP SCHEDULE

 

   Sunday, June 21, 2015

8:00 am and 5:00 pm in the Church  

10:00 am in the Chapel

 

                            

St. David's Episcopal Church | 763 South Valley Forge Road | Wayne, PA 19087
610-688-7947