Sabbath is a weekly rhythm of setting aside one day for rest, worship God, and delight in His world. Join us as we seek to enjoy God’s gift of weekly rest and delight in Him.
To honor the Sabbath is to organize a day around four simple values:
Stop | The word Sabbath literally means to “cease” or “stop”. Almost everyone in our culture today including those of who follow Jesus are overcommitted, non-stop busy, and tired. God has not designed us to “work” non-stop. Whether that be school work, “work” work, or anything of that nature. We were not intended to work everyday all the time. We were made to work hard, then, stop and rest.
Rest | Physical, emotional, and spiritual rest are vital for every human. As you stop attending to work and “big” responsibilities, fill your day with restful things and rest in God’s presence.
Delight | Do things you truly enjoy and delight in it. Fill your day with activities that are life-giving for your soul. Begin to distinguish between recreation and restoration. Begin to transition from entertainment, TV, social media, shopping, and going “out,” to activities that deeply connect you to Jesus and his rest.
- Eating a good meal
- Singing
- Walking
- Napping
- Reading
- Spending time alone with God
- Spending time with family and friends
- Worshipping with your Community
- Gratitude
Worship | The core of Sabbath is to set a day aside, “unto the Lord”. Everything you do is an opportunity to worship and honor God. Whether it be a fun activity or a more focused worshipful time, we can have the posture of it being “unto the Lord”.
*There are no “to do”s on Sabbath! No oughts or shoulds. This is just a list of activities many people find restful and restorative.
The Sabbath is a day blessed by God and set aside for rest and worship. One of the most important practices of Jesus was finding rest and making time for Sabbath. The human condition is prone to restlessness and our digital age and consumeristic culture only exacerbates the problem. We must model the restfulness of Jesus, which is more than just a day, but is a spirit we live by all week long.
“The sabbath is an entire day set aside to stop working, stop wanting, stop worrying and simply rest in God’s presence.” -John Mark Comer
God Designed It | Genesis 2:1-3
God Commanded It | Exodus 20:8
Its For Our Good | Mark 2:23-27
Mark out a 24 hour time period (or as close as you can) to rest and worship.
SUN->MON->TUES->WED->THURS->FRI->SAT
Pick a ritual to clearly begin and end your Sabbath
- Light two candles (symbolic for the two commands in Exodus and Deuteronomy to “remember” and “observe” the Sabbath).
- Invite the Spirit of Jesus to come and give your home light, joy, love, peace, and rest.
- Read a Psalm, sing a song, quote a poem, or pray a liturgy to center on God.
- Pray: ask the Holy Spirit bring a spirit of rest over your life and lead and guide you through the next 24 hours.
- If you begin at night, share a meal with your family or friends.
- If you begin in the morning, go to church and worship.
Spend an entire day in rest and worship.
- Adapt your day to your personality, preference, stage of life, and however it is you connect with God: time in nature, walking your dog to the park, going to the beach, getting lost in a good book, etc.
“Just take the day to pamper your soul in God’s presence.”
