Unforced Rhythms of Grace, Pt. 6: Sabbath
Take Communion
Leader Note: Begin your time together by taking communion, whether as a full meal or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, have someone read from the gospel of Matthew 11v28–30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Review the Last Practice
Leader Note: As you review last week’s Practice, it may be helpful to remind everyone that this is a space to simply notice how it went, not to correct or advise anyone.
Before we jump into tonight’s Practice of Sabbath, let’s take a few minutes sharing how our practice from last went as we took steps towards Generosity.
What invitations did you sense around the practice of Generosity? Did anything feel new or familiar?
As you look back at this week, or even the last month, where have you experienced God’s generosity?
How might God be enlarging your heart for others through the practice of Generosity?
Read This Overview Aloud Together
In this cultural moment of over-working and under-resting, there is an invitation to us, as Jesus followers, to become awake and fully present to our lives through the practice of Sabbath. In God’s story, we are introduced to the Sabbath day at the very beginning of Genesis: Creation. The Bible opens by describing the state of Creation before God got to work as formless and empty. The first six days — as God filled the earth with plants, animals, and human life — God was forming and filling the void. Then, the seventh day of Creation is given a name: Sabbath, which simply means quit, stop, take a break. The Sabbath day is for remembering what the six working days of the week tend to make us forget: that our lives are playing out in the midst of a much larger story, within which we are not the main character. So, at the very least, Sabbath reminds us that we are not God — we are not the essential character to this story. God loves us that much that he has made a way for us to never have to carry such a burden. Rather, he invites us to be co-laborers as his image bearers. The way we quit, stop, take a break for Sabbath sets aside intentional time for us to attune our whole selves to that which is most eternal and true. Sabbath was never intended to be a day of reward, but of worship. Sabbath creates the sort of freedom that satisfies our deepest desires to be with Jesus and allows him to form a new thing in us.
Tonight, we are going to take some time to talk about how Sabbath teaches us to plan and order our days so that we can notice God in the ordinary and rest in his presence.
Do This Practice Tonight
A well-planned Sabbath is less like grabbing for rest and more like learning to open our hands to receive it from God. When we lean solely on our own understanding, we often confuse rest with comfort, where we escape from exhaustion, sleep-deprivation, hurry, and overstimulation. Rest requires more effort and intention than comfort or other indulgences and it produces a much greater return. God gave us such a gift in Sabbath: one day a week to taste what awaits us forever. As we practice Sabbath, we get to figure out what is necessary for planning and preparing so that these 4 elements can exist: Stop, Rest, Delight, Contemplate.
So, our practice for tonight is to talk through how these 4 essential elements can be included in a weekly 24 hour Sabbath. First, we need to unpack those elements a bit before we discuss what this practically looks like for each person in our Community. A quick word on each:
Stop. Stop working, not when things are necessarily finished, or each email has a response, or when that project is done that’s due tomorrow. We get to stop simply because it’s time to stop.
Rest. Worship by resting, engaging in activities that help make you more present to your life and to those you love.
Delight. We don’t have to enter Sabbath so seriously that we don’t sprinkle in some of our favorite foods, or favorite drink, or favorite hobbies. Be sure to include simple pleasures and things that bring you joy.
Contemplate. We aim our attention, prayers, and desires on what God has already given to us. We contemplate the many ways we see and know God’s presence and power in our ordinary lives.
Let’s start by hearing from one another how these elements could be part of a 24 hour Sabbath practice. For some of us, Sabbath is already a well-practiced discipline and for others, it may be a brand new idea to consider starting in an already full schedule. We want to create space for all of us to engage and start where we are. So with that, let’s take some time to hear from one another in response to these questions:
Leader note: Feel free to just pick a few of these questions below to spend time discussing.
What invitation(s) do you sense Jesus offering you in Sabbath?
What choice or change in perspective would you need to make in order to truly stop working to enter into Sabbath?
Traditionally, the Christian Sabbath is Saturday night – Sunday night. Would that be the best 24 hour time frame for you (and your family)? If not, what days could work?
What do you delight in? And how could you include that in your practice of Sabbath?
What comes to mind when you think about the unique ways you’d need to prepare and plan ahead for Sabbath? Is there a family member or friend you could invite into your practice?
How would contemplating God's presence and power in your ordinary life shape how you rest?
Let’s close this portion of our night by getting in groups of 2-3. Let’s take five or so minutes to pray specifically for one another, that Jesus would give rest for our weary souls and replace burdens with his easy yoke.
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead
This week our Community is going to individually practice a weekly 24 hour Sabbath. This will mean different ways of preparing and planning for each of us to take 1 out of the 7 days to stop, rest, delight, and contemplate. It will require a unique sacrifice and creativity based on each life stage, circumstances, and obligations. Consider inviting someone who you find rest or delight in, and invite them to practice Sabbath together. This could perhaps include even others who need any invitation to rest, and you could practice Sabbath rest together. Let’s find creative ways to encourage one another in this practice throughout the week. If you don’t have regular Sabbath practice, consider where you’d like to start and then give it a try. And if you already do, consider what it would look like to invite others into your Sabbath rhythm.
The next time we meet, we’ll take time to hear about how this Practice went for each of us.
End in Prayer
Leader note: Close your time together in prayer, by praying a simple prayer of gratitude for the gift God has given in Sabbath.