How to Practice Sabbath (From a Beginner)
If you grew up in a church of any kind, you are likely quite familiar with the word “Sabbath.” And if you’re like me, you became so accustomed to hearing it over the years, you almost began to disregard it — as an ancient practice, a boring ritual, an irrelevant thing of the past.
It wasn’t until recent years that I began to revisit the practice, with some major prompting by a few outspoken modern-day leaders. Thankfully, the concept of Sabbath was revived for me — it was stripped of its legalism and restrictions and became full of life and unencumbered indulgence.
But let me back up. What is “Sabbath” anyway? Merriam-Webster defines it as “the seventh day of the week observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a day of rest and worship by Jews and some Christians” and “Sunday observed among Christians as a day of rest and worship.” The Bible mentions it in many places — perhaps most notably in Exodus 20:8-11.
Yet when I read passages like “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter…” I don’t feel particularly inspired or excited about this day.
I just finished reading “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer and awhile back, I read “To Hell with the Hustle” by Jefferson Bethke and “7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess” by Jen Hatmaker. All three books echoed the same sentiment: The Sabbath is supposed to be our favorite day of the week. And it’s not all about restrictions and deprivation whatsoever! Let me explain.
The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word, Shabbat, which means “to stop.” It’s simply defined as: a day to stop — stop working, wanting, worrying, and going, going, going.
This typically translates to a few “do not dos,” but that’s simply to make way for some life-giving activities (much like minimalism, if you ask me). Things to avoid include: working, shopping, scrolling, doing chores, etc. But things to do include (but are not limited to): make your favorite meal, drink coffee slowly, sleep in, get together with friends over a bottle of wine, read, take a nap, go for a walk in the park, journal, call a friend or family member, meditate and pray, do a puzzle, listen to relaxing music...the list goes on.
But your list might look very different than mine, and that’s perfectly okay! John Mark Comer says the best way to decide what is a worthwhile Sabbath activity is to ask yourself: is this restful or worshipful? If it doesn’t fit under either category, it can wait until the other six days of the week.
I haven’t read this book (so I can’t vouch for its content) but Abraham Joshua Heschel's book, The Sabbath (1951) mentions this concept I have clung to ever since I heard it quoted. “If you work with your mind, sabbath with your hands, and if you work with your hands, sabbath with your mind.”
This is brilliant. I work all week with my mind (as a content writer), so for me, the most restful activities involve my hands — doing a puzzle, going on a walk or a run, knitting, painting, etc. If you work with your hands, your ideal rest might look a bit more stationary, yet stimulating to your mind (reading, napping, etc.).
Another mind-blowing theme repeated in the above-mentioned books is this idea that the Sabbath symbolizes the start of the week, rather than the end. It’s where we build up the energy from which to draw from the remainder of the week — it’s not the place we arrive at, depleted and worn out, barely hanging on by a thread. In most Christian traditions, Sabbath is considered both the first day and the eighth day of the seven-day week. The day almost acts like the period of sleep within our 24-hour daily rhythm. We rest before we go about our days. It’s only from that rest that we are able to fully live.
Jefferson Bethke describes his family’s Sabbath as a literal party. For them, it means ceasing from work, turning off their phones, and celebrating how good God is by playing, partying and eating good food. They welcome Sabbath on Friday night with a huge feast and observe Sabbath all day Saturday. Their only rule is to “only do what’s life-giving, special and good for the soul.” It’s like celebrating a holiday (like Christmas or Easter!) once a week — without all the stress, anxiety and preparation.
After I had reframed my idea of Sabbath, with timely insight from these wise teachers, I decided to practice Sabbath in our own life. And that one day has single-handedly transformed the way I live the other six days of the week.
COVID definitely threw a wrench in our daily rhythms; for a while, the weekends blurred with the weekdays and every day felt like a cheapened “day of rest” — as we spent a lot of time around the house, scrolling mindlessly on Instagram, binge-watching Schitt’s Creek, and staying glued to the news. But none of these activities were truly restful.
It wasn’t until I finally read “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” (it had been on my to-read list for over a year!) that I remembered the importance of Sabbath in reconnecting me with God and what he wants for my life. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t include doom scrolling.
Just recently, we started practicing Sabbath again. We’re not perfect at it. We watched the news a bit last Sunday. We say things that aren’t exactly “worshipful.” But that’s not the point. The point is we are consciously setting aside an entire 24-hour period to seek God — in both “spiritual” and non-spiritual ways.
We chose Sunday, because it works best for our schedule — but I know many people who do Saturday instead. Most kick it off with a meal the night before, which is where you set the tone for the following day (and put away your phones, spend time with loved ones, etc.). Then, you just create your ideal day! Imagine if you could create your dream itinerary not just on your birthday or another holiday — but on a weekly basis. That’s Sabbath.
Here’s *Our Ideal Sabbath Day:
*Again, this is personal for us! Yours might look different. Also, we don’t do ALL of these things. This is just a list of potential activities.
No social media
No TV screens or computers, really
No shopping/spending money (includes restaurants and coffee shops!)
No chores or housework
Make a homemade meal together on Saturday night, drink wine, play music, share what we’re thankful for
In the morning, take the dog on a walk
Drink coffee by the fire, read the newspaper (we just subscribed to The Tennessean Sunday paper!)
Make our favorite breakfast (roasted potatoes, kale and over easy eggs)
Watch church on livestream (for the pandemic edition)
Take a nap
Go on a run or a hike at a park
Do a puzzle or read
Eat lots of snacks
Have a friend over for games
Take a bath
Pray and read the Bible together
Make another big lunch or dinner
Blast music (or better yet, Brandon plays guitar)
Drink tea and read in bed
Doesn’t that sound like the most relaxing day? That’s because it is. But it’s further than that: it’s recharging. It’s grounding. It’s designed to reconnect us with God and his creation — which includes ourselves and those around us.
There are three things I would advise, or remind you of, as you start practicing Sabbath:
Prepare: To have a truly restful day, I recommend taking care of a few things the day before your Sabbath. That might include grocery shopping, cleaning the house, and running various errands — anything you have decided not to do on your Sabbath day. There’s nothing quite like a clean house and a stocked fridge/pantry to help you feel at ease.
Practice: As I’ve mentioned, it’s not about perfection! That’s why it’s called a “practice” — it’s something we do over and over again, slowly finding our rhythm. And openly failing. Jefferson Bethke touches on the potential for a Sabbath “fail” and how it’s important to simply pick it back up the following week no matter what. Treat it like you would a less-than-ideal Christmas: would you cancel Christmas next year if this year’s holiday didn’t go as planned? Absolutely not.
Pray: This isn’t simply a day off. The purpose of Sabbath isn’t for our own gain (although we do reap so many benefits) — it’s for God’s glory. I’m talking mostly to myself here when I say: Use this day to actively seek the Lord, through prayer, reading the Bible, and thanking him for all that’s around you.
I could go into about 80 different subjects I’m thinking about in regards to Sabbath (like its connection with anti-consumerism!) — in all honesty, I’m just skimming the surface of all the depth and beauty this practice provides. And these concepts are far from novel, as many scholars have unpacked the benefits of Sabbath for centuries. But I figured my newfound appreciation for what I honestly considered a somewhat boring topic was something worth sharing. Because maybe you, too, thought Sabbath was a thing of the past.
On that subject, I would argue we need it now more than ever, in our overworked, over-connected, stressed out, maxed out society.
Let’s purposefully resist that — starting this Sunday.
And the best news? You have everything you need at your disposal to start practicing Sabbath. There’s nothing you need to buy in order to fully rest. You don’t need that set of new bedsheets, the fluffy robe, a handmade coffee mug, or whatever Kinfolk image you have in your head right now. Don’t let marketers hijack this spiritual practice by turning rest into a commodity.
You already have all that you need. Now, all you need to do is...stop.
Do you practice Sabbath?
I’m curious — do you already practice Sabbath? What do you like to do on your Sabbath? Share in the comments below!
PS As mentioned, I am no expert on this subject. In fact, if you haven’t read them already, get your hands on one (or all!) of the books I linked to above. They each played a significant role in reframing my view of Sabbath — among other important subjects, like slowing down, simplicity and sustainability.