Big Idea: Sabbath is not a dreary religious duty, but a life-giving day of delight.
Application: This week, as you stop and rest, also delight as you Sabbath.
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Plan a Sabbath Feast.
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Aim to feast with family, a small group, or those you normally wouldn’t.
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Cook or order your favorite foods.
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Have dessert.
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This is a chance to practice hospitality.
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Follow a basic Sabbath routine. (from last week)
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Pleasure Stack.
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Pick a few activities that cause you delight and joy, and plan to do one to three of them during your Sabbath…
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Make pancakes.
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Open a good bottle of wine.
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Have a dance party.
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Play music.
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Get coffee with your best friend.
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Take a walk.
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Nap.
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Eat delicious food.
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Go fishing, golfing, or swimming.
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Be in nature.
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Watch the sun rise or set.
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Make a fire.
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Read fiction or poetry.
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Sing.
Reaching Exercise
- Read Part 2 of Sabbath by Dan Allender (pp.101-145)
- Listen to ep. 3 of the Sabbath series from the Rule of Life podcast by PTW.
- Exercise: The Sabbath Box.
- Find a decent-sized box.
- Right before you begin your Sabbath, put in the box anything that would keep you from Sabbath delight – your phone, laptop, car keys, wallet, etc.
- Take a moment (ideally with your Sabbath meal community), and write out any anxieties, sorrows, or unfinished tasks from the previous week (there are always things we ran out of time to get done).
- Say a brief prayer giving it all over to God’s care, and then put the box away for your Sabbath as an embodied act of trust in God.
- From there, begin your Sabbath meal or beginning ritual.
