A Sabbath Rest
Years of reading about the Sabbath in Scripture, but the reality is, I wasn’t really exposed to the why of Sabbath or how to Sabbath.
In the early years of my spiritual journey, the commandment to honor the Sabbath became one of the 10 commandments that we didn’t really have to follow. For sure don’t kill, steal, or commit adultery, but if you don’t honor the Sabbath, it’s not a big deal. I can’t think of one sermon or book read about the Sabbath. I can’t think of one person I knew who truly practiced the heart of the Sabbath.
I stumbled upon the rhythm of Sabbath out of sheer desperation. I was running myself ragged with
work, consisting of endless lesson plans to prepare and papers to grade
ministry expectations and commitments I had as a pastor’s wife
parenting that required daily chauffeuring, cooking, and cleaning
The calendar was full and I could literally work every single day, all day long, and still have a to-do list a mile long. As soon as I marked one thing off, another item would be added. I was experiencing burn out - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Something had to change.
“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”
So I stopped and went back to the beginning.
“On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.”
Note that in the creation story the only thing declared as holy is the Sabbath. God set this day apart for the good of creation and to highlight the differences between those who follow Him and those who follow the surrounding nations.
I revisited the 10 Commandments.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.”
“Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the resident alien who lives within your city gates, so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do.”
Note which phrases or words are repeated or significant:
Remember
Be careful to remember
Keep it Holy
Blessed
Declared it holy
I read the words of Jesus.
“As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free of your disability.” Then he laid his hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day. But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water? Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for eighteen years—shouldn’t she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
Note that Jesus wasn’t against observing the Sabbath, but rather he was fighting against the legalistic practice of Sabbath. Observing the Sabbath should not be at the expense of loving and serving others. It seemed clear that there must be something to this idea of honoring the Sabbath.
Feeling as though this was my last attempt to create balance in my life, I made the decision to practice a Sabbath. At the time, we were attending a Saturday evening service. I decided that I would not “work” from the time that service started until 5:oo pm Sunday evening.
I said no to
writing lessons plans
grading papers
running errands
committing to anything that did not bring life and joy to me
I said yes to
worshiping with my local church
lunching with friends
napping in the middle of day
studying Scripture
reading for joy
watching a movie with Hubs or the kiddos
And do you know what I discovered when I implemented this spiritual rhythm?
I was super focused and motivated the other 6 days.
It was easier for me to say no to things that I wanted and needed to say no to.
I was more efficient and effective with the time I did work.
I physically felt rested and ready for the new week.
I appreciated stillness and slowness.
I began to experience God and His goodness and kindness in a new way.
What a gift He gave us!
I continue to practice the Sabbath. The day we attend church has changed, but the commitment to having periods of slowness and intentionality with Jesus, my family, and myself has not stopped.
Do you want to begin this weekly rhythm of Sabbath? Are you wondering where to start?
Begin with setting a period of time that will be your Sabbath. It doesn’t matter when you begin or end it. I highly recommend trying to make it at least 24 hours. Be realistic about the time. I choose to end my Sabbath by 5:00 pm on Sunday because I know that I need to prepare for work on Monday and make sure my family is prepared for the week.
Determine what you will say No and Yes to. Make sure your family knows your boundaries and that you include their need for a Sabbath.
Set a weekly calendar reminder. I set mine for Saturday afternoon. It is just a quick reminder that my Sabbath is about to begin, and I need to put up my work.
Choose a Bible study or a faith/theology book to go through during your Sabbath. Something that enriches your experience. In the beginning I recommend reading books on the Sabbath or going through a Bible study that focuses on the Sabbath.
Use the time for
Rest - physically
Play - do something fun (a new hobby or with your family or friends)
Fellowship - spend time with someone in your biblical community or family
Celebration - pause and celebrate the successes of the week
Reflection - reflect back upon the week and acknowledge the hard parts, and if needed, seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God and/or with others
Thanksgiving - give thanks to God for the week you are leaving and the week that you are walking into; write or say the words out loud to God!
Praise - find a way to praise God for who He is; this may be done through a church service, on a walk in your neighborhood, or with the music turned up as you make dessert
Sabbathing takes practice!
Spiritual rhythms are sometimes called spiritual practices; that’s because you must practice them. You are going to mess up in the beginning. You will run to the grocery store because you need food. You will have a commitment that you really don’t want, but you didn’t want to say no. You may be tempted to do some work. You will forget to pause and celebrate, praise, or give thanks. Forgive yourself. Make a plan for the following Sabbath…and try again. If you struggle with follow through, consider asking someone to hold you accountable. Remember these words from Jesus, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath”. (Mark 2:27)
Here are a few books that I highly recommend that helped to share my spiritual rhythm of Sabbath:
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chloe
Rhythms of Rest by Shelly Miller
Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner (not about Sabbath but beautiful book about slowing down)
Be encouraged. The Sabbath is for you. To bring you rest. Renewal. Refreshment. It is a gift given to us in the very beginning because our Creator knew that we needed it.
“Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his.”