How to Sabbath

Tarah Avery

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If any of you follow me on Instagram (@Tarah_Avery), I post about Sabbath every week.  So why in the world have I not talked about it on the website!?

Let’s do this Q & A Style and start with the basics:

Q: What was Sabbath designed for?

A: Before there was sin there was Sabbath. In a perfect world free of pain & toil, there was Sabbath. This day wasn’t created as just another “day off” for recovery but as a celebration day. A day to celebrate everything that was created that week.

It’s a day to stop and celebrate and be grateful for all you have. It’s not a day for trying to get more. Tomorrow you can start striving for more, but today is about resting in what you already have and celebrating this last week (whether it was good or bad). ⠀
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Sometimes we don’t have great weeks (like the last 6 for me!).  Maybe not a lot was accomplished due to laziness or lack of motivation.  But when we set aside the time (1 day out of 7) to Sabbath and just breathe for a moment, take life in, and reflect with an attitude of gratefulness, before you know it, you’ll be energized and renewed for a fresh new week of work. ⠀
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It’s a beautiful rhythm that God created when all was perfect. A little piece of Heaven on Earth.

Q: Why is Sabbath important?

A: “Busy is an addiction. It’s a mirage. It tells people that more effort equals more progress. And that’s simply not true.” -Dale Partridge⠀

Imagine you are a world-class Chef and you create an exquisite meal that takes you dayyyys to create. Those around you are dying to taste what you’ve created, and you cannot wait to see the looks on their faces when they try what you’ve been putting your blood, sweat, and tears into.⠀
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Now imagine you finished, and the first thing you do, is to throw that meal in the garbage. No one gets a taste. Your work was pointless and without meaning.⠀
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That’s kind of what it’s like when we work a hard week and forget to sabbath. We throw away all that hard work because we aren’t refilling our cup.

God created Sabbath for us; not the other way around. Sometimes we get confused and end up focusing on what you can and cannot do on the Sabbath.  But there are no right or wrong ways to enjoy this gift <–Which is exactly why God made it- as a gift.

We are called to work 6 days and take a rest day on the seventh day. That is how God wired our bodies to work. And when we have a good work/rest balance, we start feeling fully alive.

Sabbath is going against the grain of society that screams “MORE.” And it’s about time we say “ENOUGH.”  Work is a good thing, but it’s not the thing. There is more to life than producing all the time. Sabbath reminds us that we need to take a break from accomplishment and just rest, and enjoy, and be thankful for what we have and what we’ve created.

One of my favorite authors puts it this way: “Sabbath is an expression of faith. Faith that there is a Creator and he’s good. We are his creation. This is his world. We live under his roof, drink his water, eat his food, breathe his oxygen. So on the Sabbath, we don’t just take a day off from work; we take a day off from toil. We give him all our fear and anxiety and stress and worry. We let go. We stop ruling and subduing, and we just… be. We ‘remember’ our place in the universe. So that we never forget . . . There is a God, and I’m not him.” -John Mark Comer

The basics are important to experiencing Sabbath fully. But a few people have asked me this question recently, simply:

Q: What is a Sabbath supposed to look like?

A: Honestly there are no “rights or wrongs.” Too often we get caught up in those and it totally misses the point of why God gave us this gift in the first place. However, because it is a time of refreshment and rest, work is kinda outa the question. Some things are obviously work- checking emails, cleaning the house or doing chores- so those are out. But the more important thing to think about on this wonderful day is doing things that are life-giving.⠀
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When you are thinking about what to do on your Sabbath, ask this question: is it life-giving?
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And there is no “right” way to do this. For some people, gardening is refreshing. But for others (like myself), gardening feels like torture!  The same could be said for exercise; while a run or hike may breathe life into your soul, it may not for someone else. It could be working on a fun art project or reading a good novel (yes, please!).  It may look different for each person.

The important question to ask is if this activity reactivates your soul.  Does it bring life to your heart?⠀

Once you’ve thought about that, here are the next two steps.

1) Pick a day and time.

The best way to start this habit is to find consistency. So pick an evening of the week or a couple of hours in the morning. The goal is to work towards an entire day.  BUT start with what you’re able to do right now.   ⠀

And an important thing to remember is your season of life. Sometimes seasons are crazy busy and it’s hard to find a whole day every week to devote to rest. Other times it’s a little easier, and finding consistency is a piece of cake!

When Gordon and I first started this habit I was working a regular 9-5 job M-F. Saturdays he often had gigs, so we chose Sundays. Even though they were filled with Church and family nights, it was the best option. It wasn’t as relaxing at they are these days because we are extreme home-bodies (seriously, ask our friends & family, it takes A LOT for us to go out and do something).

When I finally started working for myself we had the freedom to arrange our schedule to our liking. So literally, we re-arranged our schedule around Sabbath. And sometimes, in order to fit this rhythm into your everyday life, that’s necessary. Oftentimes we need to say “no” to some really great opportunities or people in order to say “yes” to this healthy habit.

We don’t have kids yet, but I know that Sabbath will look really different when we do. I can imagine it being a little busier. But that’s ok, every season will have it’s own shifts and changes.

Do what you can with the season you’re in. If it’s a whole day that’s awesome!! If it’s a couple hours in the morning or evening, perfect! But try to find a consistency every week so that you build this life-giving habit into your life.

2) Envision what you’d like to do during this time.

Rituals are amazing things that can make your Sabbath special. Remember to say “yes” to things that fill your soul; bringing you life and rest at the same time.

Here are some of our rituals for a full 24 hour-ish Sabbath, but please remember that this is just what we’ve decided best for our family. You do you, yours doesn’t have to look like this at all. But to give you an example, since many have asked what Sabbath looks like for us, here it goes:

The day before, we clean the whole house. There is nothing more relaxing than a clean house (amen!). Once we’re done cleaning we turn off our phones; which our family wasn’t too happy about at first. But it’s become normal for everyone.  We welcome in Sabbath the night before by reading a Psalm and then lighting candles (because why not?). We’ve really gotten into the Jewish tradition of Sabbath, so we love lighting an actual Menorah.

Then we usually have dinner together or with friends/family! Sabbath isn’t all about being isolated- far from it actually. Have fun and invite your loved ones into it with you.

Most Sabbath nights we go to bed early and relax by the giving of ourselves to one another (if you know what I mean).

We sleep in the next day- no alarms! We just wake when our body wakes us. And then we make our favorite breakfast feast! Cheese bagels & bacon (my fav), eggs & hash browns (his fav), a tall glass of OJ (so refreshing!), and delightful coffee (duh!).  It’s literally our favorite breakfast.  And since we only have it on Sabbath, it’s such a special occasion that we look forward to EVERY week. ⠀
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After brunch it’s a free for all: doing whatever we feel will refresh us the most. Usually, Gordon will read a “spiritual” book, because deep thinking rejuvenates him. Me? I’ll pick a novel because not thinking refreshes me. HAHA. Oh, and we definitely stay in our PJ’s all day long!

How do you want to spend your Sabbath?  What kind of rituals do you want to experience with your family?

Test things out. You won’t find what fits you for a while. It took us months to figure out.  And honestly, we are still learning.

Your Friend,

 

 

P.S. If you love to read and are eager to find your confidence and embrace this season of your life, please read:

“Garden City,” By: John Mark Comer and for some old school traditions/rituals read, “The Sabbath,” By: Abraham Joshua Heschel.