We believe that Sabbath is an important part of every person's walk with Jesus. It is the place where we are invited into relationship with the Father and to put aside all other distractions. It is a day to turn our focus away from work, away from projects, away from stress, anxiety, and anything else we might be tempted to put between Jesus and ourselves.
For the following exercises, filter options through this lens:
Option 1:
You have never done Sabbath before, but you want a place to begin.
Option 2:
You have experience with the Sabbath, but you aren’t practicing consistently like you would like to. Here is an opportunity to make it a regular occurrence in your life.
Option 3:
You have been practicing Sabbath for any amount of time and are looking for a way to grow.
Recognize that we are moving at such a rapid pace that true rest is foreign to us.
Goal: to practice stopping on a day of rest.
Choose an evening in your week to be intentional about stopping. This can look like a meal with family and friends, or a night where you don’t have chores to do; but take one night to not work, and focus on what you have and what you are thankful for.
Start practicing the Sabbath weekly by choosing a Sabbath day, and don’t practice chores for at least half the day.
Try turning your phone off for a full 24-hour period. Practice being engaged in the moment, available to those around you, and spending time resting without alerts for text messages, social media, online games, etc.
Be intentional about slowing down.
Goal: to practice resting on a day of rest.
Determine what rest is to you: try spending an evening without chores, without obligations, and set out to do one restful thing.
On your chosen Sabbath day, plan to spend a few hours with no digital distractions. Read a book, go for a walk, learn to play an instrument; the idea is to disconnect with the business of the world and slow down.
Create a list of things that bring you rest (an actual list, on paper or on your phone) and be intentional about doing 1-3 of those things on your day or rest.
Remember that God is good and delights in us.
Goal: to practice delight on a day of rest.
Pick one thing that really brings you joy and does not require your cell phone, and on your chosen day of rest this week be intentional about doing that thing, either by yourself or with family and friends. This can be reading, putt-putt, a picnic at your favorite park, etc.
Plan to try pleasure-stacking on your Sabbath day. Put as many enjoyable activities in one day for you and your family as you reasonably can. Plan for as few chores and tasks as possible on that day. Try to be present in the moment.
Try to find something that delights not just you, but people that you spend the sabbath with, or people you would like to spend the sabbath with. Then, plan to delight together.
Remember that all the glory belongs to God.
Goal: to practice worship on a day of rest.
Find a way to turn your focus to God one night this week in a way that you do not normally. Take a little bit of time to do something like journaling, singing your own worship song, or praying through a psalm; something that is worshipful but out of the ordinary for you.
Begin your Sabbath dinner with a focus on what you are thankful for and what you are excited to see God do. Say these things out loud to people you are eating with, or out loud to God if you are alone. It’s important to begin your Sabbath this way, because it sets the tone for the rest of Sabbath, and ultimately, the rest of your week.
Be intentional throughout your Sabbath day to constantly turn to Jesus in conversation and in prayer. Connect with Him, thank Him, admire Him, and admire his work in your life. The goal is a constant state of praise and thankfulness that will continue into the rest of your week.
RESOURCES
We want to give a huge shout-out to John Mark Comer and the team at Practicing the Way for pioneering these teachings. We are excited to share them with you, and we hope you are as impacted as we were to begin living your life at a pace like Jesus’.
All Sunday morning content has come to us via Practicing the Way.
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