The daily office and sabbath are ropes that lead us back to God in the blizzards of life.
The Inadequacy of Out Present Ropes. The Daily office and the Sabbath offer us a powerful rhythm to connect with God.
Stopping to Surrender.
The Discovery of an Ancient Treasure: The Daily Office. The root of the daily office is not so much a turning to God to get something but to be with Someone.
The Central Elements of Daily Office. Four elements are need to be found in any structure of the daily office.
- Stopping.
- Centering
- Silence
- Scripture
A Second Ancient Treasure: Sabbath Keeping. Keeping the Sabbath is a command from God, and an invitation.
God’s Command for Rhythm in Our Lives. God worked. We are to work. God rested. We are to rest.
The Four Principles of Biblical Sabbath. The key is to set a regular rhythm of keeping the sabbath every seven days for a 24 hour block of time.
- Stop.
- Rest. Rest from what it is that occupies you. It could technology, talking, working, etc.
- Delight. God delighted over his creation. We should delight in what is around us as well. That includes “healthy play”.
- Contemplate. Contemplation of God is a key to the Sabbath.
The Principle of Longer Sabbaths. God built into the Israelites calendar Sabbatical years. We should consider taking longer Sabbaths as we are able
Gripping the Rope During Our Blizzards.