Practice
Make a Plan
With pace of life, work demands, social connections, pressures to be out and about, and so much more, it’s possibly harder than ever in our culture to rest. Sabbaths don’t just happen, they are created!
1. Evaluate and Take Inventory.
Think about your current rhythms of rest. Journal about what you do well and what you do not. What do you really want to experience in your sabbath rhythms?
2. Brainstorm what brings life and what doesn’t?
What must I disengage from? (Life distracting things or things that veer us into productivity).
What must I re-engage with? (What brings you abundance, recovery, renewal). As as we start the week from a position of rest, we are filled to give out.
3. Write out a Sabbath Plan.
Create a plan for the a day this month (or even a portion of a day) and live it out. Here’s a helpful grid to think through:
- Be Prepared (Intentional) – So that you can actually rest (laundry done, meals planned, etc).
- Be Present (Relational) – Fast from media that stifles relating. Focus on sharing moments.
- Be Playful (Recreational) – Doing things that are fun, make us laugh, and endear us to life.
- Be Prayerful (Devotional) – Be intentional to remember God’s presence and take time to commune with Him.
There is no perfect way to participate in Sabbath. Be free. Enjoy your creator. Vehemently deny performance. Performance actually prohibits rest.
4. Reflect and Journal about how it went.
Sometime before our next meeting, take time to reflect and journal about how it went. What did you enjoy? What fell flat and felt forced? What do you want to continue? The more you delight in God’s design of rest, the easier it becomes to live out the practice.