K Karpen: "Radical Rest" (Sermon for September 6, 2026)

"Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy..." - Exodus 20:8Happy Labor Day Weekend!Most of the Ten Commandments are phrased negatively: "Thou shall not." The 4th Commandment, to rest on the sabbath, is phrased positively, "Remember the sabbath, and keep it holy." Work on other days, but on the sabbath, take a day off and rest.To understand how radical this command to rest might have sounded to the ancient Israelites, remember that they have just been led out of slavery in Egypt. During their enslavement, they were valued only for the bricks they could produce, the stones they could cut and move. Now their God is ordering them to rest. To just be.Labor Day is a celebration of the unions and workers (and, notably, religious leaders) who led the movement that led to the 5-day work week. People are valuable of themselves, and to themselves. We are alive to work, but also to love, to play, and to rest. To just be.K