Lent Photo a Day: Sabbath

The term “Sabbath” is derived from the Hebrew word “Shabbat,” which means “ceasing from work” (not necessarily “rest,” as it is often translated). The concept of the Sabbath first appears in the Bible at the end of God’s creation of the world: Genesis 2:1-3 states, “Thus the heavens and the earth were created in their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.”

The specific term “Sabbath” appears over and over throughout the books of Exodus and Leviticus:

“This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.’” (Exodus 16:23)

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)

“Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you.” (Exodus 31:14)

“It is a day of Sabbath rest; you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.” (Leviticus 16:31)

“Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:30)

“It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves.” (Leviticus 23:32)

In Leviticus, the concept of a Sabbath is extended to not only the seventh day, but also the seventh year. Leviticus 25:4 states, “But in the seventh year, the land is to have a year of Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or plant your vineyards.” References to keeping the Sabbath holy continue throughout the Old Testament, in Numbers, Deuteronomy, 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Amos.

In the New Testament, the Sabbath was still being celebrated (and enforced): In Matthew 12:10, the Pharisees ask Jesus if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He responds by asking them, “If any of you have a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, do you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” This conversation illustrates the point Matthew had just made in verse 8: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Throughout the New Testament, we see Jesus and His disciples “breaking” the Sabbath: they pick grain when they are hungry (Mark 2:23), they drive out demons (Mark 1:25), they heal the sick (Mark 3:5, Luke 13:12, John 5:8). In Mark 2:27, Jesus reminds His disciples, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Did God really need to rest after creating the universe? Did it really tire Him out so much that He needed to take a break? I doubt it. But He knew that the people He had just created, and even the world that He had just created, would need to take a break from their work now and then. We were not designed to work without ceasing. Our bodies need rest, need sleep, need changes of responsibilities. We cannot go on for long without giving ourselves a physical and a mental break. The Sabbath, I think, is God’s reminder that we need to cease from our work now and then. In the middle of our busy, hectic lives, sometimes we need to just stop what we’re doing for a bit. We need to rest our bodies, our minds, and our souls. We need to stop. We need a Sabbath.

Sabbath.

Lent Photo a Day: Celebrate

The word “holiday” is derived from the words “holy day,” so it is no surprise that many of the holidays that we celebrate, whether religious or secular, originated as religious holidays. Many holidays are celebrated in both a religious and a secular way: Christmas, for some, is a celebration of the birth of Christ and redemption for mankind; for others it is a celebration of the arrival of Santa Claus with a sackful of toys. Easter is celebrated both as the resurrection of the Christian Savior and as the arrival of spring as heralded by the Easter Bunny with his baskets of jelly beans and chocolate eggs.

But as well as the joyful holidays, we have both religious and secular holidays which are more solemn and commemorative than they are joyful. Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Martin Luther King Day are secular holidays which are observed by solemnity and reflection rather than “celebration.” Nearly every major religion has holidays which are marked by mourning and repentance rather than by joy. Christians “celebrate” Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, when Jesus was betrayed and crucified. Jews “celebrate” Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, a time of fasting, prayer, and confession. Muslims “celebrate” Ramadan, a month of fasting, charity, and self-sacrifice. Buddhists “celebrate” Ulambana, or Ancestor Day, when they make food offerings to relieve the suffering of departed ancestors. Hindus “celebrate” Mahashivaratri, a festival of Shiva spent in fasting and meditation.

One of the most mournful holiday seasons in the Christian calendar is the season of Lent, which comprises the 40 days (plus 6 Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter, including Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We celebrate, and yet we mourn. Celebration is not always joyous. It can be filled instead with self-reflection, self-sacrifice, good works, and charity toward others. This type of celebration encompasses both looking inward and examining oneself, but also reaching outward and helping one’s fellow man. This type of holiday is a time that we “observe,” rather than “celebrate.” We observe ourselves, and we observe those around us.

Even if you don’t celebrate Lent, take a moment to “celebrate” anyway. Observe. Honor. Look. Within and without. 

Celebrate.

Lent Photo a Day: Covenant

Covenant: noun

1.  An agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.

2.  Law. An incidental clause in such an agreement.

3.  Ecclesiastical. A solemn agreement between the members of a church to act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel.

4.  Bible. a) The conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture; b) the agreement between God and the ancient Israelites, in which God promised to protect them if they kept His law and were faithful to Him.

5. Law. a) A formal agreement of legal validity, especially one under seal; b) an early English form of action in suits involving sealed contracts.

The word “covenant” is a pretty serious word. It involves agreements made under the law and under the eyes of God – indeed, it can involve agreements and promises made by God and between God and His people. A covenant is a promise that is formal, public, and enforceable. A covenant is a promise that must be kept.

Another unique feature of a covenant is that it often involves some kind of sign, or seal, or symbol that finalizes the agreement. In ancient times, a covenant was sealed with wax and a signet ring. In the Biblical story of Noah’s ark, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with Israel never again to destroy the earth in a flood. In modern times, the covenant with which most people are most familiar is wedding vows, and the symbol most often associated with that covenant is a wedding ring.

My wedding ring, much like my wedding covenant, is simple in a way that belies the complexity that it represents. My ring is a plain band, unadorned with precious stones or any detailing other than a simple engraving: “HFP to SJM, April 12, 2008.” My wedding covenant can be summed up in a single sentence: “I will love you until we are separated by death.” That statement encompasses for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, forsaking all others, and all the other phrases that were part of our wedding vows. The ring, and the sentence, is a simple representation of a far greater, more complex, and more profound covenant.

As you can guess from the date, the ring in the photograph above is not my wedding ring. The complete inscription reads, “E.R. to M.R.G., Nov. 26^th, 1902.” This ring was given to my great-grandmother, Martha R. Grominger, by her bridegroom, Emil Riesen, on their wedding day. Her ring, like mine, was a simple representation of a complex covenant. To me, it is a representation of a beautiful history of fulfilled covenants in my family. My parents loved each other until they were separated by death. My grandparents on both sides loved each other until they were separated by death. My great-grandparents, all four sets of them, loved each other until they were separated by death. And I have every intention that my husband and I will love each other until we are separated by death.

Perhaps someday my great-granddaughter will look at my wedding ring and think about her own wedding covenant, and feel pride in how many generations of women – and men - have honored the covenant symbolized by these simple rings.

Covenant.

Lent Photo a Day: Joy

Joy is something that children seem to experience much more often – and much more easily – than adults. It takes a truly unusual experience to bring true joy to my heart; my children draw pure joy from dozens of everyday experiences, every day.

In the past 24 hours, here are some – only some! – of the things that brought not just happiness, but true joy to my daughter’s heart, and joyful squeals to her lips – or, occasionally, the silent joy of wide-eyed wonder.

• A cardinal came to the bird feeder.
• I made her oatmeal for breakfast.
• She fake-sneezed.
• I took her picture.
• Her brother shared his balloon with her.
• Daddy let her climb into bed with him.
• She found a beloved toy she had thought was lost.
• The waitress brought her stickers.
• She peed on the potty.
• I put the princess blanket on her bed.
• I got new glasses.
• She discovered the “erase” part of a dry-erase board.

• She found one last jellybean from Valentine’s Day.
• We made hot chocolate.
• Her brother let her play a Batman game on his Kindle Fire.
• She danced in front of a mirror.
• She put her Snow White dress on.
• I let her eat her snack in the “reindeer barn” (a little cardboard house left over from Christmas).
• She slid in her socks on the kitchen floor.
• We played hide and seek and I “couldn’t” find her.

When did I stop finding joy in such simple things? When did I become so burdened with the cares of everyday life that I forgot to rejoice in a small sweet treat, a gift from a friend, a glimpse of nature, a new discovery? When did joy become hidden from me?

This Lenten season, I will try to shed my adult cares and find joy in the simple things of life, to see through a child’s eyes the fresh joy of living itself. I will actively seek it.

Joy.

2015 Lent Photo a Day Challenge: Announce

Every now and then I like to challenge myself to blog every day for a month based on some online photo challenge. Since today is Ash Wednesday, I thought I’d take on a slightly different photo challenge for the 40 days of Lent. The concepts to be captured in this challenge are a bit more abstract, truly more “challenging,” than photo challenges I’ve done in the past. Here is the list, by date (from www.rethinkchurch.org/lent):

February

18 – Announce

19 – Look

20 – Alone

21 – Joy

22 – Celebrate

23 – Covenant

24 – Path

25 – Remember

26 – Place

27 – Wait

28 – Powers

March

1 – Celebrate

2 – Bless

3 – Near

4 – Poor

5 – Follow

6 – Beloved

7 – Speak

8 – Celebrate

9 – Sabbath

10 – Knowledge

11 – Wise

12 – Stop

13 – Practice

14 – Search

15 – Celebrate

16 – Wilderness

17 – Endure

18 – Believe

19 – Light

20 – Place

21 – Still

22 – Celebrate

23 – Forgive

24 – Mercy

25 – Truth

26 – Seek

27 – Meditate

28 – See

29 – Celebrate

30 – Live

31 – Call

April

1 – Peace

2 – Breath

3 – Prosper

4 – Refuge

5 – Go

With today’s subject being “announce,” the first image that jumped into my head was of a row of heralds trumpeting, the shining brass bells of their horns raised high, blaring a joyful fanfare.

This particular bell belongs to a French horn, not a herald’s trumpet. It’s a bit battered, bearing dents and scratches earned through many years of use. The edge of the bell has lost its finish and has bits that have become ugly and crusty. And yet it can still call out a glorious announcement of something wonderful and exciting that is to come. Much like people, its outward looks do not reflect its potential for beauty and service. I am proud to use it to announce my intentions of taking up this challenge, because it is imperfect, just as I am. I can only hope that the humble efforts put forth by my battered self can serve to share some beauty, just as this battered horn shares a beauty other than its appearance. 

Photo A Day, Day 18: Good

My husband and I have quite a few catchphrases that we repeat to each other on a regular basis. When we both say (or think) the same thing at the same time, we say, “Get out of my head, David Blaine!” When we pull out of the driveway on any kind of a road trip, we announce, “’We’re off!’ the captain shouted!” When one of us makes a clever remark or wise observation, the other one says, “You’re good at this game.” And when a messy or unpleasant situation of some kind gets resolved (or at least, ends), we remark, “It’s all good.”

No matter how nasty things get, once they’re over, it’s all good. My daughter nearly drowned in our swimming pool last year, and the week she spent in the hospital was the worst week of my life. But the day she came home, it was all good. Our family has lost loved ones, some suddenly and unexpectedly and some with weeks or months of preparation, and our hearts were broken, but life goes on and it’s all good. I got laid off and struggled with depression over it, but then I became a stay at home mom, and it’s all good.

Today is Good Friday, which for a Christian is about the worst day ever. God was dead, in a sense. How much worse could anything possibly get than that? And yet, just three days later, Christ arose and our sins were forgiven forever. How much better could anything possibly get than that?

Christ is dead today. But Sunday’s coming, so it’s all good.

Fat Tuesday

Growing up, neither my church nor my family really observed the season of Lent. I grew up in a very Catholic town, so I certainly asked at a very early age why my friends came to school with dirt on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday, and why we always had pizza and fish sticks for school lunch on Friday. I knew that some people gave things up for Lent, like chocolate, or dessert. When I was in college, a mentor challenged me to try giving something up for Lent. I didn’t really have any bad food habits, so I decided to give up wearing makeup. After the third day of people asking if I was sick, I ended that experiment. 
 

I also heard the expression “Shrove Tuesday” for the first time in college. And I already had a pretty good idea of what Mardis Gras and Carnival were. But it took a few more years before I finally made the connection of Fat Tuesday – Ash Wednesday – Lent – Easter. And now that I know all of them, I pick and choose how to observe or celebrate each one.

I’m always up for a good excuse to make a gourmet meal or dessert, or for a good excuse to indulge in some fast food that I would normally avoid, so celebrating Fat Tuesday just makes sense. I know that there are traditional indulgent foods in various cultures, such as King Cake, pancakes, donuts, and all kinds of rich pastries, but I just go for whatever food sounds like a special treat. Maybe I’ll have steak for dinner, or maybe I’ll bake some cream cheese brownies, or maybe I’ll make myself a nice thick frappe as an afternoon snack.

Some would say that I’m being a bit hypocritical to indulge myself on Fat Tuesday when I don’t plan on giving anything up for Lent. But to me, the indulgence reminds me of all the luxuries and beauties of life that are mine thanks to God. Indulging this way helps me focus on the season of Lent as it relates to Christ’s ministry here on earth. It reminds me of the solemnity of Good Friday and the joyous celebration of Easter Sunday. It brings to mind the image of Christ and His disciples partaking of a meal together on Maundy Thursday.

So laissez les bons temps rouler! Because very soon I’ll be shouting, “Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!” And that’s a reason to celebrate!