02. REST
Once you’ve decided on a day or time in your week to stop, you need to start preparing for what’s going to happen when you stop - rest.
Prepare for the Day. The things which don’t feed and fill our souls (things like mowing the lawn, or whatever fills that blank for you) are the things that need to be kept out of your Sabbath. Our recommendation is to do them and whatever else needs to happen for Sabbath to be enjoyed before the Sabbath - so that when Sabbath arrives, you can be fully present in it.
Prepare for external resistance. While Sabbath is a day of saying yes to rest, it’s also a day of saying no to things like phones, social media, sports, or errands. For starters, pick three things that distract that you can say no to.
Prepare for internal resistance. Without the distractions which temporarily hold our feelings and fears at bay gone for the day, prepare to feel those things. And when you do, utilize the questions beginning on Page 21 of this guide
WELCOME TO THE BEST DAY OF YOUR WEEK.
01. STOP
There are three basic options when it comes to picking a time to stop the flow of your week and to sabbath.
The Christian Sabbath on Sunday, which is the best for most of us since it’s also our day of worship.
The traditional Sabbath from sundown on Friday night to the same time on Saturday.
The midweek Sabbath for those with non-traditional work schedules.
One of the goals here is to get into a rhythm of practicing sabbath on the same day each week.
If an entire day is too much for you, that’s fine. Start where you are - even three to four hours during the week can work. The goal is just to stop.
IT’S MEANT FOR YOU. Let’s be honest, God didn’t need to rest (after all, He’s God!) Rather, right after God' creates human beings - people probably packed full of potential and excitement at their new life and purpose - He rests. In this moment, this was Gods way of showing us the importance of rest. This is most clearly reflected in Jesus’ words when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
THE SABBATH IS A 24-HOUR PERIOD TO STOP, REST, DELIGHT AND WORSHIP.
04. WORSHIP
The Sabbath needs to be elevated beyond just a joyful day off to what it truly is: a day of worship to God. The purpose behind Sabbath, ultimately, is to re-align our souls with our Creator. Here are two things that guide us to that end:
Prayer. Two to three times during your 24-hour sabbath, we recommend pausing and praying. Not to intercede for God’s working in your life, but instead to simply rest in His goodness, to praise Him for who He is, to thank Him for what He’s given you, and to reorient yourself to His glory and magnificence.
Practices. We recommend identifying two to three practices which uniquely cause you to feel connected to God. Maybe for you that means hiking or reading or listening to music or drawing. Once you’ve identified those practices, do them in an act of joyful worship to God.
IT STARTED WITH GOD. The history of Sabbath goes all the way back to the first Sabbath in Genesis: “So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all his work of creation.” (2:1-3)
IT’S NOT SELFISH. Contrary to modern culture - one which celebrates the “hustle” and a 24/7 pursuit of “more” - the Sabbath stands as a weekly reminder that we’re not built by God to go and work and “hustle” all the time. Oh sure, we can make it a while with no breaks, no rest, no Sabbath. But eventually our need for rest catches up with us - and when it does so on its own, it never catches up with good things in tow. The Sabbath is a day of unselfish rest that’s 100% approved by God. Because God knows better than anyone that we need it.
IT’S DELIGHT. The Sabbath is meant to be a delightful experience for us, not one filled with rules and rigidity. There’s no right or wrong way to do it - you don’t even have to do it. The Sabbath is something which is offered to us by God as a means of recapturing our humanness and which He leaves up to us to define so long as it’s a time of true rest and worship as you enjoy your life in God’s creation. So go on a walk. Go get donuts with your kids. Read a book. Drink really good coffee. Spend time with your spouse. Light a fire and curl up on the couch. Take a nap. While we do recommend unplugging from devices, the rest can be up to you.
IT’S RESISTANCE. Interestingly enough, there was a moment in the Bible when the people of God did work 7 days a week. It was when they were slaves in Egypt. It’s not too much to say that the culture of “hustling” and pursuing “more” 7 days out of the week is a form of slavery over our lives, and that practicing the Sabbath is a way of resisting that slave-driver. In Deuteronomy, as the now free Israelites were getting close to the promised land, God repeats His command to observe the Sabbath to them. And His motive in making sure they remembered to Sabbath was simple: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there…” (5:15)
Much of the material on this page is from “The Sabbath Practice” from the organization “Practicing the Way.” You can access the full guide and explore more of the Sabbath practice by clicking here.
03. DELIGHT
In a world full of sorrow, joy is not something that’s inevitable. It’s something that must be cultivated, and Sabbath is the means of doing so. To delight on the Sabbath is where all of this gets really really fun. And there’s really only two things to do:
Throw a feast. If it’s just for you and your immediate family or your small group or your entire block, plan a simple or magnificent feast with those around you and dig in. Cook your favorite foods, crack open your best bottle of wine if that’s your thing, and savor not only the food but the people joining you. Take time to celebrate the highlights of the week and just enjoy.
Pleasure Stacking. Sabbath is your day to do the things which cause you delight and joy. Here’s some things you could do (ultimately though, it’s up to you):
Make pancakes.
Take a walk.
Do your nails.
Go fishing.
Make a fire
Play a game