Welcome the Sabbath

As viewed from our island of Guam, the sun is sinking into the Philippine Sea; it is time to remember God's gifts.

In our tempestuous ocean of time and toil, we need an island, a harbor of stillness; there we may anchor, and reclaim our dignity. The Sabbath is our island, our harbor.

The week of work is done; it's time to relax with God. God gave us six days to work, and we've done our best. Now we accept God's best, His rest. It's time for communion.

This is time to remember. The world has already been created, and will survive without our help. The world may claim our hands; but our mind and heart belong to God. We welcome His time, we rest our hands, in devotion to Him.

God once told Moses, "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." That sanctuary was fixed in space; to participate, you had to be there. But in the beginning, God first created another sanctuary, a sanctuary in time. Sabbath is a sanctuary we all may enter.

On Sabbath, we celebrate life. We are not beasts of burden, and the Sabbath is not for burdens. Now we put down our burdens, to join in celebration. For six days we have struggled in this world. Now we pause, to look higher.

We keep Sabbath not for the sake of the other days. The weekdays exist for the Sabbath. Sabbath is not an interlude, but the climax of our living. We have given time its due; now we taste eternity.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. Now we remember Jesus, our Lord, Lord of the Sabbath.

All through this week we have looked for home, we have longed for home. Sabbath is home. Peace be yours, welcome home!