I’m so excited!!! Click on my link to the left and go to Charis Connection, but promise me you’ll come right back!
All right. That’s MY question on Ask the Authors Monday! I also asked this question of the expert panel of writers this past weekend at the OCW conference.
Wonder why I wonder about such a thing? Because my husband has Sundays and Mondays off, we go to church on Saturday, and the kids are in school Mon-Fri. I really don’t like the thought of writing the same day I go to church, but I wasn’t sure which day should be a Sabbath. My husband used to feel a bit put out if I wrote when he was home, mainly because he works so many hours. He wants to spend time with me, not with me and my laptop. And who can blame him. He didn’t know he was marrying a writer because I didn’t know that’s what I wanted to be almost 11 years ago when we said our vows. That’s all changed recently because he sees how hard I’m working on my newest book.
Today I finished my quota in time to go out to dinner and to the movies with Kevin to celebrate his 34th birthday. I’ve only got about 12,000 words to do before the end of the month. Bette Nordberg says the last 15,000 words are like coasting downhill on a bike. I’ll see if it proves true over the next two weeks.
No matter what else happens, I plan to keep my Sabbaths HOLY.
Hey, Christina, it was nice to officially meet you at OCW. I like this post, as I am very interested in this subject. I have so many thoughts and questions about it and I was glad you posed question to the OCW panel. Here are some of my ponderings:
Yes, writing can be draining, but most of the time it’s fun. I liked what Stan Baldwin said about writing only when it’s easy for him. I agree. I work 40 hours during the week and take classes off and on, so writing between Sunday services is a fun treat. I have wondered if that’s okay with the Lord. I mean really, what is the difference between spending time reading a book on a Sunday afternoon, or taking a nap, or spending time writing. None of these are spending time in prayer or earnestly seeking the Lord, so what’s makes one okay and one not okay?
I attend Sunday morning and Sunday evening services. Both my husband and I are pretty involved and volunteer in several areas. Sometimes we are at church for a good 6 or 7 hours on Sundays. So when I am home between services, I admit I’m not spending it in prayer or reading my Bible. So does that mean I’m not truly keeping the Sabbath Holy? From the many different scriptures on the Sabbath, it’s obviously an important issue to the Lord, so I want to do it right.
I have a friend who was raised 7th Day Adventist. We have studied when and who changed the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first day of the week. It appears after Christ’s resurrection, the Disciples starting meeting on Sunday as a way to show that they were followers of Christ, but they still kept Saturday holy. So this makes me wonder about keeping Saturday holy to rest, search the Lord, read His word, etc. then gather for church on Sundays. Perhaps that would be a better way for me to keep the Sabbath holy.
Now, the last area I am curious about is embarrassing because I’ve been a Christian for a long time, have studied various subjects in depth, and taught lots of classes. Therefore, I should know the answer, but I don’t. So here it goes… What exactly is one supposed to do on the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy? I believe there’s more to it than just going to church and not working. The Lord is so specific about the condition of the heart that it makes me think He had more in mind than just going through the motions of church and napping on the Sabbath. What are your thoughts?
Okay, sorry for the long comment, this is just something I don’t know enough about and probably the best answer is for me to do a Bible study on it an earnestly seek the Lord. Right? Tammy
It was so good to meet you! On one hand, I thought I shouldn’t ask the question because it should be between the Lord and me, but I respect all the authors so much, I wanted to see what they’d say.
One way I keep the Sabbath holy–which has been Saturday lately–is to not write. I agree that writing is fun most of the time. I get a huge sense of satisfaction every time I scratch off another word goal. But it’s also become a serious job to me over the last few months.
Each time I want to write on a Saturday and I don’t give in to it, I feel like I am sacrificing something of worth to the Lord. It reminds me to think of Him. I guess it’s kind of a “writing fast” once a week, which draws me closer to Him.
I save my reading for my rest days, because otherwise I get sucked in to a good book and don’t want to put it down to pick up my own!
But if I worked a fulltime job instead of being a stay-at-home mom, I don’t think I’d make the same choice. In your case, it sounds like you’re being an obedient daughter to use your free time to do what you’ve been called to do.
We are commanded to set a day apart for the Lord, but I also struggle with how to make it holy when I’m cooking and cleaning and the laundry needs done and we forgot about the spelling test and…you get the picture.
Exactly. Ditto on that same struggle. If writing was my job, and I wish it were, then I wouldn’t work on Sundays. But right now it barely pays for one or two magazine subscriptions. I love the “Writing Fast” for the Lord idea. Great analogy. I think I have become laxed in my non-church time on Sundays. My husband watches football, my kids are gone to college, so I do my own thing in the afternoon and have probably been too relaxed about keeping it Holy. So, thanks for the convicting blog.
Tammy
Ahh, but don’t forget this about “sabbath” rest … it’s not just about “keeping the Sabbath and keeping it holy.” Yes, that’s a huge commandment in the Bible, but Jesus didn’t seem too impressed by how the religious leaders of the day inserted their traditions into God’s commandments. Jesus repeatedly did good “work” on the Sabbath. He is, indeed, Lord of the Sabbath.
I like thinking about sabbath as not exactly being a particular day, but being a very specific attitude of heart and mind. Sabbath rest is simply putting ourselves into our Father God’s arms and staying there as long as we can. Sometimes that’s only a few moments, since the busyness of the day calls. But sometimes that can be hours, days, or even weeks. Yep, I believe we can savor a “sabbath rest” with our Lord 24/7. And wow, like, I believe it, but I can only hope/wish/pray that I’ll someday be able to attain it! Or even come close.
Worship carries many of our traditions too — but I think a form of worship can be the way we write our stories. We can enjoy sabbath as we write, if we are totally in Him as we write, allowing Him to pour out through us. It’s an amazing time of sharing the gift/task/calling with the One who gave it to us. All our energies working for His glory. What other form of worship is sweeter than that?
I loved your question, lady, about this at OCW, and found the answers the Charis bunch gave to be interesting across the board. I love your heart’s desire, and pray you’ll find extra special rest even as you’re cranking out those last 15,000 words. Like coasting down a hill on a bike? Yep. Like sweet communion when He’s placing just the right words one after another in our mind’s ear.
: )
P.S. It was so cool to see you and your mom again — and you too, Tammy!
Donna,
I like your insight. It answers the question I was embarrassed about asking. I agree there’s more to keeping the Sabbath holy than just going through the motions of church and resting, and I wanted to know what more it entailed. Thanks for sharing.
Tammy
Embarrassed? Nah. Not about this. This kinda stuff is the stuff of life. ; )