Within an hour into my Sabbath this week my mind thought of two tasks that I didn’t write down so I had to find a piece of paper so that I wouldn’t forget it.  But the hardest thing was to stop thinking about how I should rank these new tasks in a prioritized list that I had created leading into my Sabbath.  My pre-Sabbath list of tasks is close to 20 tasks long.  How do I quiet my mind during my Sabbath?

Taking communion to start my Sabbath this week was very powerful.  Somehow, peeling back that wrapping to slide out the thin wafer and peeling back the cup lid felt almost ceremonial.  I use the word “ceremonial” to convey that it carried meaning for me that felt holy or sacred.  I know that it should always feel this way, but doing it as an intentional act to start my Sabbath really felt different.  Unto the LORD.  It’s all unto the LORD.

This week during my “fixed hour of prayer” at Fresh Fire where I experience God’s nearness I was brought back to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6: 4-9) and how it connects with Practicing the Way.  Here’s how:

LORD is one:  Amidst all the things in life that we worship, the little “g”s, we are reminded that there is only one true God with a capital “G.”  And we are called to a life that reflects this in every aspect.

Loving the LORD our God with all our Heart is connected to who we are becoming.  We are all becoming someone by following something or someone.  Apprenticing under Jesus is to become like Jesus.

Loving the LORD our God with all our Soul reminds us that we are spiritual beings living in a spiritual reality.  Living life and Practicing the Way is about spiritual formation.

Loving the LORD our God with all our Strength acknowledges that life is about choices, rooted in the free will that God has given us.  We have the choice to follow Jesus or not, and that decision is the eternal difference.

We impress this mindset and lifestyle of becoming like Jesus upon the next generation. 

We talk about this because our words matter, and at all times, when we sit and walk, at home and on the road, when we lie down and get-up.

We tie this as symbols on our wrists as a reminder to ourselves.

We bind this on our foreheads to witness to others.

We write this on our doorframes and gates to cover our entire household with a life dedicated to loving God.