The Third Commandment

The Third Commandment to Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy was drilled into me-from about the time I was 10 days old. In my family the rule was “In church every Sunday.” No excuses.: I am sure that some Sundays we even carried germs to that assembly when we probably should have stayed home. But the ritual was demanded. Get those shoes polished. Put on your Sunday best. Get you hair slicked down with hair oil. Get your nickel for the offering basket. Be in church.

And a good habit that was (and is. Every Sunday I get time for reflection, for praise, prayer, instructions. In my later years the highlight for Sunday worship has become the weekly Eucharist,. When I kneel each Sunday morning and get the elements of bread and wine, my slate is wiped clean. My soul is renewed. My total being gets new strength for the days ahead.

But there was an important element of the Third Commandment which was not stressed in my early life. Nor did I heed it very well for much of my adult life. The commandment certainly does include the direction to “get your Sabbath rest.” I was lousy at that. I often worked as hard or harder on the Sabbath than on the other days of the week. In general, I failed to get appropriate rest. To my regret I even thought I was being extra virtuous by NOT taking a day off, by not taking my allocated vacation days. I was wrong.

Certainly one of the key elements of observing the Sabbath is remembering that God rested on the Sabbath. We need to take our Sabbath rest-.I need to remember the little sticker my wife Jane has on our refrigerator door. “Fret Not ! It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest. For God gives sleep to his beloved.”

I am working on doing a better  of heeding this important Third Commandment.