Jeremy McGarity
·
May 5, 2008

Sabbath Smabbath

Ok, I sinned. I've asked for forgiveness, I confessed it to the congregation this weekend. I have violated the sabbath. I haven't had a true "off day" in a long time. I haven't taken a sabbath. The fourth commandment was ignored in my life for a while. There were only 9 commandments I followed. However, it caught up with me. I was overcooked, melting down, not firing on all cylinders, a few fries short of a happy meal, not the brightest bulb on the tree, not the sharpest tool in the shed...ok, you get my drift. I felt terrible. I know I'm supposed to take a weekly sabbath, I knew that when I was violating it. But, the tyranny of the urgent took over and before I knew it it had been weeks since I took a day off.

Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). It's to our benefit to take a day off for rest and recreation. Believe me I used the excuse that "I'm doing good on the sabbath."(working for the Lord, etc.) Jesus said that's ok (Matt. 12.12). But, again the sabbath was made for man. I am not Jesus and neither are you, we need rest. We will be better for it, more creative, more energetic, etc.

Here's what that means...I have to say NO! No to more meetings, no to more tasks and appointments and no to my need to be "busy." I'm going back to the basics. I'm following all ten of the Ten Commandments. What about you? Do you have a problem taking a day off? Is it hard for you to set boundaries?

If you're interested you can listen to the message and my "confession" online at www.sevensdchurch.com the message is entitled "How Above Average Joe Saves Time." I talk about scheduling our time, off time, etc. and what the Bible says about time and using it wisely.

In other news: OLYMPIAN HIGH SCHOOL EAGLES BASEBALL
Our brand new baseball team at Olympian is HOT! We're on a roll...ok, a roll for a brand new varsity program with no seniors, starting three freshman a few sophomores and two juniors is winning two out of our last four. What that means is we've cut down on our walks from about 10 a game to about 2 a game. We've cut down on our fielding errors from about 5 a game to about 1 or 2 a game. And, the greatest of all we've cut down on giving up after two innings. These kids are getting it. Last game we were down 4-1 in the fourth inning. Normally, they would have folded. But, the showed the moxy it takes to be a winning team by coming back on the road. We rallied for 8 runs over the next three innings to take home our second win in four games and our fourth win overall. Can anyone say playoffs!...:)
3 comments

3 thoughts on “Sabbath Smabbath”

  1. I got to speak to your wife today for, like, and hour or so!Talk about a miracle in itself, man!Trying to get ahold of her is like trying to reach the dead.Praise God, she finally decided to call her stalker back!Anyway, it was nice to hear from her and to hear about what you guys are up to. Looking forward to seeing you all in a few weeks. I asked Janie if she thought you’d mind that i take her out on her birthday morning for some breakfast. It’d be just a couple of hours with just the two of us. I’d like to, if it’s okay with you.Also, any more updates on the baptism location and time. Chris’ parents are flying in the 21st and want to be there for that. We also have some other people who are wanting to see the girls and chris get baptized.Well i guess that’s it for now. Have a wonderful rest of the week!

  2. Hi Candice,the baptisms will be after service at probably 130 or 200. We are waiting to see if we can get a portable baptismal. If not were heading to the beach for a beach baptism. how’s that sound?

  3. Hey Jeremy! Great post – I’ve learned the value of maintaining healthy boundaries, protecting my own sabbath, and saying “no” a lot more too. Fear not – it’s a GOOD thing. Sounds like things in California are going well … I visit your blog frequently, though I don’t comment nearly as much as I should! Angie and I will be in San Diego next month for vacation and then I’m attending the Saddleback Worship Conference. Hope we have a chance to see you guys!Dan

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