Today’s Reading: Acts 1:12 (NIV)
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.
Good morning!
How far is a Sabbath’s day walk? Bible Scholars speculate this walk could be no longer than ¾ of a mile. If you wear a pedometer to track your daily steps, you may be surprised to know just how far you walk in a day, even without purposefully exercising. Keeping your walking to a minimum of ¾ mile is very hard to do.
How far is too far to go to worship the Lord? We live approximately ½ mile from the front door of our home to the front door of Faith Church, and I do enjoy walking the subdivision to church. I will confess that I don’t walk very often, because it is difficult to provide shuttle service for friends who need a last minute lift when you are traveling on foot! Many from our Faith family drive long distances to come and worship each week. We have folks who travel from Cahokia, Illinois, the greater St. Louis area, and as far west as Wentzville and Warrenton to worship at Faith each week. I recently read a bumper sticker on the back of a car while sitting at an intersection in town. It said, “A church that is alive is worth the drive!”
In this fast-paced culture, it is not uncommon for folks to hop in their automobiles and travel here and there, especially on the Sabbath. There are sporting events, shopping sprees, family get-togethers, and even work to attend to. How many people do you know who are required to work every weekend? It seems as if our culture has all but forgotten the Father’s command to “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11 NIV
In the busyness and business of life, I have a deep desire to make each Sabbath day’s walk a holy walk. I’ve found that my Sabbath does not necessary fall every seventh day – I can enter into Sabbath rest every morning as I enter into the presence of the Lord through worship and prayer. I believe that keeping the Sabbath holy has a whole lot more to do with our mindset and heart song than with the physical mileage we burn in travel time to and from the places we go.
Won’t you join me today in a Holy Sabbath Walk with the Lord?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO
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