Does Getting Worked Up About The Sabbath Count as Work?

Read the New Testament and nothing causes greater consternation than the Sabbath. Turns out this is still the case. As the Levites-For-A-Month publically wrestled with what it meant to “keep Sabbath” (can you eat out or not, watch playoff football or not?), viewers of our online chronicle erupted with input over proper Sabbath observance. From Jews in Israel to fundamentalist Christians in Idaho, concern over what to do with your Sabbath (not to mention what day to do it) made Leviticus look easy. When it came to the day of rest, there was no rest. We even argued about it among ourselves. Two weeks into Leviticus and already we were getting Pharisaical. Jesus said that ,” but what does that really mean? Three women in our group decided to give serious Sabbath keeping a go. They worked themselves silly on Saturday so they could completely chill on Sunday. They said it was fabulous and even took a bunch of smiley pictures to prove it. But they sure looked exhausted when we saw them in church that night. Is there a way to step into this weekly rhythm of holiness without dreading it? Some of the Jewish folks we encountered said that it takes a lot of practice—something that being a Levite for a month doesn’t provide.