1 QUOTE

“Lukie’s airport is the best airport in the world.”

– Luke Teter (age 7)

1 NOTE

What does it mean that God rested? This is at the heart of understanding the joy of the Sabbath Day. I know more than a few people who were raised to think the Sabbath is primarily prohibitive. A friend from UCLA with Mormon religion background told me he could never play tennis on the Sabbath (or have a coke a smile). When I asked him why he told me, “I’m not sure but it’s probably in the Book of Mormon). I felt really sorry for him. When God rested on the seventh day (Gen 2:2) it is far more about what He did, not what He stopped doing.

What is the normal and natural response after a huge project? You enjoy what you just created! After you build a house…you live in it. After you build a dynasty…you stack World Series rings. After Becky and Chef Mike cater a huge 5000 Pies event…they celebrate with a staff meal. Darrell Johnson points out that the key to understanding Sabbath rest is to recapture celebration. God just made the universe, sun, moon, stars, seasons, sky, sea, food, birds, marine life, animals and humans. So how does he celebrate? He enjoys what He just made. Becky Teter, who did a year-long core book study of Genesis 1-11 believes that on the seventh day God entered into His creation to enjoy all that He made. The text explicitly states God spoke with the creature (Gen 2:16). They heard his footsteps in the creation (Gen 3:8). How do you celebrate the stars? By laying down in a field and looking up? How do you celebrate the ocean? By grabbing a snorkel kit and swimming with the turtles? How do you celebrate the animals. By petting, hugging and rubbing your beagle as she wags her tail at mach 10 speed. And how do you celebrate the humans? By enjoying the earth with the humans. On the seventh day God celebrated (because the project was over) by enjoying His creation.

From a very young age our son Luke has loved airplanes. I love to fly and have passed this on to him. My dad loved to fly and passed this on to me. (I always find tragic irony in this since I lost my dad in small-plane glider accident at age 10). I will never forget the first model airplane I bought Luke. He loved it so much that he slept with it in his bed. Over the years I would buy him one airplane from each new airport apostolic ministry took me. When we had enough planes we created ‘Lukie’s Airport.’ The airport had a control tower in the middle. Three terminals and airlines from all over the world. What did we do once the project was done? We enjoyed our creation by getting those planes in the air. I will never forget the excitement in his eyes and the joy in his voice when Luke released the planes into the air: “JAL Flight 121, this is tower. Lukie’s Airport to Hong Kong International. You are cleared for takeoff…”

1 QUESTION

Because Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death, every Sabbath Sunday is Christmas, Easter and your favorite holiday of the year. How will you recapture the joy and celebration of Day 7 this week? You are cleared for takeoff…

Until Next Tuesday,

John