So therefore, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; 10 for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his.
Rest. I like the idea of rest, and I like to think that I can rest. But I’m not as good at it in deed as in thought. Today, Holy Saturday, is a day in between. Yesterday was Good Friday, and Jesus was crucified. Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, Jesus rises. Today, we wait.
I had a priest friend describe today in an interesting way. He said that some Christian denominations, those who tend to be more penitential, and original-sin-proclaiming, feel like a Good Friday kind of Christian. Much of their life and faith is spent thinking about sin, feeling guilty, and confessing, without spending a commensurate amount time on Easter Sunday. Other Christian denominations spend a lot of time worshipping and praising, and celebrating the risen Christ. My priest friend likened them to Easter Sunday Christians, always celebrating without spending time on Good Friday. Episcopalians, he posited are like Holy Saturday people, aware of the Good Fridays, and awaiting our Easters. Today, for the first time after hearing his theory probably 20 years ago, it rings more true.
I used to feel like Holy Saturday was a day to wait. Not much happened, except the bustle of preparing for Easter, whether that’s at home with Easter eggs, or brunch fixings, or at church, putting the final touches on the big day and music.
Today’s readings are full of language of rest. The 16 verses from Hebrews reference rest nine times. The regular collect for Saturdays talks about God’s rest on the seventh day, and that we should put away all earthly anxieties. Every Saturday, I like reading that and being reminded that a sabbath rest is not just nice, but it’s holy. Most surprising this morning is the reference to rest in the Collect for Holy Saturday. It talks about today, this day in-between, as a day when Christ ‘rested’ in the tomb. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about Christ, dead in the tomb, as resting.
All of this talk in the Scriptures and collects about rest, it’s hard not to hear rest. It reminds me of that pause when you breath slowly. Breath in, pause, breath out. That’s what I’m thinking about this morning. Today, Holy Saturday is the pause in between breaths. It’s not just a wasted, not-Good-Friday-and-not-Easter-Sunday-day. Just like our weekly Saturdays are to be our weekly sabbath rest (or Sundays for some Christians), today, Holy Saturday, is our annual church calendar sabbath rest. And unlike vacation, this isn’t a day of simply playing and fun. We really are in the midst of the biggest days in the church year. There’s a lot to pray about, mourn, and anticipate.
My day is full of wonderful things. I pray that I seek out and find the spaces for that pause.
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