Sabbath as "Unplugging"-an interview with Eugene Peterson

I must admit that Eugene Peterson is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters when it comes to the discussion of pastoral life and sabbath.  Here is an excerpt from an interview Eugene recently did with Gabe Lyons:

"Gabe:
What should a Sabbath look like in my life? What does it look like in yours?

Eugene:
A day of unplugging. That's a good way to put it. When I was a pastor, the Sabbath was on Monday, because Sunday was a workday for me. My wife and I didn't practice Sabbath when we had small children, because it took us a few years to figure out our rhythm.

But typically on a Monday, we would pack a lunch, and we would go to the woods. We'd hike for three or four hours in silence. Then we prayed, had lunch, talked, and worked our way back home.

We'd get home by the time the kids were home. Interesting, they loved this. We weren't uptight about anything because it was the Lord's Day. We played and we prayed and didn't do anything that wasn't necessary. Unplugged everything, basically.

It transformed our lives, our family life, our personal lives, and our congregational life. Not everybody did it, but they saw us doing it. Somehow that gave them a sense that they don't have to do what the world's telling them to do. It really does take effort and determination. Those of us who want to keep the Sabbath are going to have to be pretty intentional about it. I've been doing this for at least 40 years consistently, and I've had dozens of students and parishioners who have also adopted this practice. Most of us find it's the most radical thing we've ever done-and the most creative."

I want to highlight two things that I gained from this excerpt.

First, I love the imagery of Sabbath as unplugging. As I blog I can see at the least 10 different cords or cables that are "plugged into" something. Imagine for a day that I simply unplugged all of those things and let them rest and be. The aesthetics of my office would be impacted very positively. Think about the simplicity of all of those items being "unplugged".  Not only do I have cords strewn about, but my calendar is open just one tab over from my blogger tab. I simply have to glance at the colorful Google calendar to see all that I, personally, am "plugged into".  Again, imagine if only for a brief period I "unplugged". If I unplugged from the role of professor, the role of campus minister, the role of landlord, the role of _________. If I only unplugged and simply existed as Eli, as a child of God in need of his presence, guidance, and Fatherly ways. Sabbath as "unplugging", I think Eugene is on to something.

Second, Eugene mentions his own personal Sabbath practice when he had children that were school aged. As many of you know I am the father of 2 month old twin boys. Needless to say I can't for the life of me figure out what Sabbath, "unplugging" looks like in the midst of keeping up with Ian and Nolan. I am constantly plugging a bottle in one of their mouths to satisfy their appetite. Eugene and his wife Sabbath together without the kids. They bring the kids in on the Sabbath practice later, but they intentionally share this time together. They unplug together, then they can stay unplugged with their children later in the day. That seems to make the idea of Sabbath with small children or children in general far less daunting.  And the effect of this practice was revolutionary for the family, it "...gave them a sense that they don't have to do what the world's telling them to do." No, they are free to do what God tells them to do.

The Contemplative Pastor

I really enjoyed reading this book. More than that though, it was challening reading Peterson's understanding of pastoral ministry. I found myself wrestling with the tensions that he describes. How do we fulfill our vocational calling while treating those we minister to with Gospel dignity. That is a difficult tightrope to walk at times. I especially like the distinction that Peterson makes in outling pastoral vocation as unbusy, subversive, and apocalyptic. Unbusy indicates that pastors are not bogged down by "running" a church. Although administration is part and parcel of our "job" as pastors, that is not what we are called to "be." Being unbusy means that we are unrushed. It is not a "works-based" righteousness. It is important that we embody that in our ministry. It is about being saturated in prayer and Scripture. The Spirit, not the calendar, directs our lives. We are not called to be important (we usually show our importance by how much stuff we do). It is a vanity that says the Church cannot survive without my effort. Being unbusy is a resting in God's work in the Church and that we are called to "be" not "do." Furthermore, we are called to be subversive. We oppose the culture and what it deems we are to be as pastors and as people. It means that the kingdom of self is replaced by the Kingdom of God in our lives and in the lives of our congregations. It is looking for the Kingdom that is even now burgeoning in our lives. And, it is allowing our wills to be subsumed by that Kingdom so that we are partners with God's re-creational work in the world. Finally, pastors are apocalyptic. This is not end-of-the-world proclamations aimed at our people. Rather, the apocalyptic pastor is one who prays, perseveres, and uses language poetically (as a "maker"). We are truth tellers that are shaped by the Word and employ words to shape the world. It is a confidence that God's work in the world is already happening and will come to fruition and completion in the fullness of time. Sabbath helps us "cease" so that we are fully present, able to listen, and focused upon what God is doing rather than on what we are doing to bring God's Kingdom about.

For me, it has been a struggle to stop. I don't do it very well. This has been especially true with finishing school, keeping up with ministry, and finishing wedding and honeymoon plans. There's so much to be accomplished and it seems there is so little time to accomplish it in. Plus, I feel important when I have responsibilities that I am able to juggle. It shows competence and skill. But, too often it denigrates into building my kingdom rather than seeking to build God's Kingdom. It is an exercise in ego. And, although I cannot neglect all of these activities and goals, it is important that I realize what is truly valuable and important in this life. It is vital that I remember that I am valued because of who I am in Christ, not what I accomplish in life. It doesn't eliminate all of the tasks that must be finished, but it does prioritize them. Sabbath is helping me remember this and re-evaluate my life in light of those facts.

Fallow for Accountability

In Working the Angles, Eugene Peterson writes, "Pastors must be in the avant garde of sabbath-keepers, reforesting land, so savagely denuded by the humorless bulldozers, with playgrounds and prayergrounds." And, in the margin of my book, I wrote, "Love, love this!" I love this statement because of its challenge and affirmation for my life. On one hand, I am very good at playgrounds, but on the other hand, I am terrible at prayergrounds. I love to play. Since starting a weekly Sabbath with my family, I have been reminded of this, and I see how my children love to play as well. They anticipate that we will all gather for games and share about our days. Just tonight Dillon asked when were we having another family night. However, we reminded him that we did on Thursday night, Friday afternoon and even watched a movie together tonight. He loves to play. The old adage, "Like father, like son," applies here. Thus, the words of Eugene Peterson affirm my love of playing. in fact, I think I will start a game of hide-n-seek in the house tomorrow.

While I am good at playing, I am not the best at prayer. Yes, I pray throughout the day, and yes, I enjoy silence every evening once the family sleeps the night away. Yet, prayer as a set time where I sit and intercede, listen and just be is not my best suit. I am finding that this concentration towards and for Sabbath is challenging me to be a better pray-er.

Since I have been deemed, "He who likes to change the subject," I will divert the rest of my attention and space to writing about the Graham family Sabbath on Friday, March 25, 2011. On this Friday I decided to take a nap finding myself really worn out from the previous two weeks of work and family visiting from out-of-town. I woke up in time to pick up my daughter from preschool. Once we arrived back home, she decided to watch a movie, and I choose to get some needed closet tidying done prior to the set Sabbath hours (This was actually rewarding because my wife was ecstatic whenever she returned home from work, she exclaimed, "Awesome job, honey! Believe that if you will.).

Later, the three of us set off for Dillon's school Cub Call (elementary pep-rally) where he was set to be the Cub of the Month for kindergarten. We rewarded Payton and him by heading to a local frozen yogurt place spending time to talk about one another's day. Then, we headed to Wal-Mart (It was odd to actually be there since Ginger now coupons and rarely shops there) to celebrate good report cards by purchasing the kids a gift. It is not our usual custom to buy toys, but we wanted to celebrate the excellent reports and achievements of our kids. At Wal-Mart, I was pleased to hear that Dillon remembered what Sabbath meant. He excitedly produced a Sunday school answer whenever I asked him who participated in the first Sabbath: Jesus. It was fine. The whole Trinitarian understanding of God can make that confusing anyway; besides, he is only six.

After picking out toys, we shared a meal together at home. Ginger challenged the Sabbath notion of cooking; however, I trumped her by saying that she should just prepare it beforehand in stead. The darts being sent from her might have possibly broken the Sabbath understanding of no killing on Sabbaths. While I write tongue-in-cheek, I should probably offer to cook the next meal. Sharing a meal is always fun at our house. Typically, someone breaks out into a dance routine evolving into some form of discipline; but, a man has to do what a man has to do even if that means getting in trouble for inciting the crazies. We spent the rest of the evening at a t-ball game where Dillon was able to tag a player from another team out, something he has been dying to do. It was a good Sabbath as it was filled with lots of playing and shared time. We prayed for the meal and that evening before bed, but we should have spent more time in focused prayer.

May we all be inspired to be cultivators of play- and praygrounds...

PS - I think refusing to proof-read blog entries is also part of my Sabbath keeping experience.

Hannah as Model Prayer - Sabbath Reflection from 1 Samuel

"In a world in which God is the primary reality, worship is the primary activity. In worship, we cultivate attentiveness and responsiveness to God. Cultivate, because if we live by mere happenstance - looking at what is biggest, listening to what is loudest, doing what is easiest - we will live as if God were confined to the margins of our lives. But God is not marginal; God is foundational and central. The person who lives as if God sits on a bench aat the edges of life, waiting to be called on in emergencies, is out of touch with reality and so lives badly... And the worship continues. Worship is not something one does to get something, and once it is got can be discontinued. Worship is a way of life." - Eugene Peterson (First and Second Samuel Westminster Bible Companion, page 21-22).

Sabbath is cultivating attentiveness and responsiveness to God. It is allowing God to be more than marginal in our lives. He becomes foundational and central. In this way, we are in touch with true reality and thus able to live rightly.