I find economics fascinating.  Probably because I know very little about it.  I took one economics course in university and remember something about supply and demand.  I also remember phrases such as “inelastic demand”, “negative supply shock”, “guns and butter”, “velocity of money” among others.  Don’t ask me to say anything sensible about them, but I’ve been thinking about economics with our current fiscal meltdown.  So as I was reading in Genesis I came across what may be the first instance of monetary policy in history.

Gen 23:16 “Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.”

The weight of a shekel was variable.  They had a floating currency!  I doubt there was some central banker that set the weight… but I would guess that it would go up and down based on certain economic conditions.  Don’t ask me what those conditions would be.  Also… don’t ask me what the spiritual significance of this is either.

I’m back to work after a few weeks away.  It is really energizing to step back into worship leading after a break.  Sabbath is so important to the rhythm of our lives.  It’s essential for ministry and for life that we keep the rhythm of work and rest.  Last night at my rehearsal with the band I was just so energized to be “back in the saddle” again.  Even when you’re doing what you love it can become a grind without any sabbath breaks.

Another interesting thing happened at rehearsal that got me thinking along these lines.  We hooked up the metronome to our in-ear monitors as we worked through a song with a couple of different grooves.  It was pretty depressing to see how tough it was for us to keep time!  That stubborn metronome just won’t speed up with the rest of us!  Most of us tend to rush.. in music and in life.  But we have a rhythm that God has given us in Genesis one of work for six days and and then rest.  If we don’t keep good time… a train wreck is just around the corner.

So get out there and get some sabbath rest.