exchanged living.

Brian is a friend and one of my Old Testaments Professors at Asbury. His framework for mission, especially in the reading of Scripture as Missional, has deeply impacted me, and his upcoming book will be a must-read for me down the road.

In this particular post, he ties together some ideas about Sabbath and Mission that are worth repeating. Here’s a small sample:

In the ancient world, humans were typically considered to be the slaves of the gods who exist for their pleasures as well as those of earthly kings. The modern world has substituted new mythologies, but not the end results. Yet the biblical narrative from the beginning announces that disorder and chaos are not the inevitable verdicts in life and reality. Moreover, “very goodness” is not even the pinnacle. Instead, the biblical narrative of Creation ends with God ceasing from work. God rests. God blesses the Sabbath and sets it apart from the other days. God models rest for the remainder of Creation. Sabbath follows work; work does not follow Sabbath. Sabbath is a reminder of God’s creative work. It invites humanity to work meaningfully and purposefully for six days and then pause as the Creator did to remember and honor God’s work.