Sabbath

Written by Cami Gerdes

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Implementing the Ancient Practice of Rest

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For thousands of years, Sabbath has been practiced by the people of God as a way to lean closer into Him and His original intention for our lives. Sabbath is one day of the week set aside for rest and recovery. Sabbath invites us to lay aside weekly chores and vocational responsibilities to pursue restorative time with the Lord and our communities. This one day is for stopping the hustle, resting our minds, bodies, and spirits, delighting in the kingdom, and worshipping our Creator. Sabbath is a liberating practice of enjoyment that offers us a taste of eternity here and now.  

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Scripture

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Before beginning this practice, take a moment to read the scripture below.

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By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:2–3

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Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Exodus 20:8–11

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Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27–28

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11: 28-30

How to Practice Sabbath

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Begin by looking at your calendar and choosing a 24 hour period of time that works for you and your family.
Plan ahead: You cannot just fall into Sabbath; you need a plan!
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• Make a list of things that recharge you, e.g., going for a walk, painting, building, reading, or dinner with friends.
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• Make a list of things that drain you, i.e., cleaning the kitchen, laundry, talking about work, doing certain activities outside of your home, etc.
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• Decide how you will start and end Sabbath, and discuss what is off limits for the day
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• Prepare your home - Clean & shop
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• Plan a special meal or activity you can look forward to every week. Ask yourself, who can you invite into this time?
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Don’t be afraid to change things up; a routine takes time

Questions

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Return to these questions after doing the practice. Take your time thoughtfully answering each question. You may want to write down your answers, ponder them quietly or even talk about them with someone else.
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1. What was difficult? Was it hard to pull away from work?
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2. How comfortable are you with boredom? What are the things that you default to in order to keep busy?
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3. Take a rest from your day to day activities. If your work consists of physical work, what can you do that activates your mind? If your daily work consists of a lot of mental exertion, what can you do that involves the use of your hands?

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