Sabbath

What

The faith discipline of Sabbath is finding  rhythm and order to our week, taking a day off for rest, worship and spiritual renewal. Shabbat is the original Hebrew word for Sabbath, and it means to cease or stop.  Sabbath is a gift from God.

Why

Exodus 20:8 says “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”  Sabbath-keeping is a commandment from God.  It is good to toil and work, but God also knows we need our rest.  We need to take a day off once a week to recharge and to reconnect to our God.  God gives us a longing for rest and space.  Ruth Haley Barton says in her book Sacred Rhythms, “You will long for a simple way to turn your heart toward God in worship without much effort.  You will long for a space in time when the pace is slow and family and friends linger with one another, savoring one another’s presence because no one has anywhere else to go.”  She also concludes, “The point of Sabbath is to honor our need for a sane rhythm of work and rest.  It is to honor the body’s need for rest, the spirit’s need for replenishment and the soul’s need to delight itself in God for God’s own sake.”

How

  1.  Relax.  Go for a walk, take a bath, go on a bike ride. Listen to music. Read a good book for fun.

  2. Reflect.  Take time to meditate on your life.  How is it going?  How can it be improved?

  3. Reconnect.  Get in touch with God.  Disconnect from distractions.  Abstain from work, television, social media, your phone, and worry.  Add time with God to fill that space.  Reengage with and delight in God.  Worship in a community and worship at home, taking time to light a candle and read scripture.  Do some journaling and have some time in prayer for what you are thankful for.

  4. Relate.  Connect with others in a different way on this day.  Spend time with your spouse and children, your extended family, and invite over friends. 

First Step

Plug into a church and attend the worship service every week.  Be intentional about practicing Sabbath for the remainder of the day.  Rest and try to reconnect with family and with God.  Try to stay off social media and work email that day.

Resources

Sabbath As Resistance:  Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann

Sacred Rhythms:  Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation (Sabbath chapter) by Ruth Haley Barton

The Sabbath Challenge by Paul M. Burns

Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest by Ruth Haley Barton

Keeping The Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Fasting by Marva J. Dawn