“When we ‘rest’ on the sabbath, we recognize him as the author of order and the one who brings rest (stability) to our lives and world. We take our hands off the controls of our lives and acknowledge him as the one who is in control. Most importantly this calls on us to step back from our workaday world- those means by which we try to provide for ourselves and gain control of our circumstances. Sabbath is for recognizing that it is God who provides for us and who is the master of our lives and our world…If we have to be reminded or coerced to observe it, it ceases to serve its function. Sabbath isn’t the sort of thing that should have to be regulated by rules. It is the way that we acknowledge that God is on the throne, that this world is his world, that our time is his gift to us. It is ‘big picture time’. And the big picture is not me, my family, my country, my world, or even the history of my world. The big picture is God. If the sabbath has its total focus in recognition of God, it would detract considerably if he had to tell us what to do…Worship is a great idea, but it can’t be mechanical, and it may only be the beginning. It is up to the individual to determine his or her personal response to give the honor that is due. The more gratitude we feel toward God and the more we desire to honor him, the more the ceremonies will mean and the more we will seek out ways to observe the sabbath.” (John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One)
