Dispatch.10.2022

Sabbath: Stop, Rest, Delight, and Worship!

Photo by ALEXANDRE DINAUT on Unsplash

Sabbath. When was the last time you heard that word or teaching in your environment? Maybe you have heard a friend mention it or heard it discussed on a podcast, or maybe even your pastor has referenced it in a message. Or, maybe you have no real idea what Sabbath is. The truth for me is while I had a working definition of Sabbath, I didn’t have a complete picture. I knew that I just could not find deep rest, my soul was tapped out…and a nap, a good night’s sleep, a regular weekend, or even taking a week off work wasn’t cutting it. That is what pushed me to dive in.

I have spent a lot of time and energy the last few months learning, and more recently practicing, Sabbath, and the reality is: it has been a challenge. My soul and body ache for Sabbath, and at the same time, stopping, resting, delighting, and worshiping in the culture we live in today is hard. Robin and I are on this journey together, learning, struggling, growing, and delighting, and we both know that something beautiful is coming.

I wanted to share some great resources on this topic because sabbath is a journey, not a destination. I hope you find these as helpful as I have. If you have other recommendations, please comment and share them with me.

Rich Villodas @richvillodas

5 truths about Sabbath: 1. Sabbath is not a reward for hard work 2. S. is a reminder that our work will remain incomplete 3. S. is a day that moves us from production to presence 4. S. reminds us that we are not God 5. S. points us to the deeper rest we need found in Christ.

Podcasts

John Mark Comer | Practicing the Way | Rule of Life (View Show)

Week 01: Stop (Listen to Podcast)

The word “sabbath” means “to stop.” In Genesis, God worked for six days, but then he rested on the seventh. In doing so, he built a rhythm into the fabric of creation. When we live in alignment with this ancient rhythm, we find peace and joy, but when we fight it, we fracture our souls.

Week 02: Rest (Listen to Podcast)

We hear about Sabbath rest, and we imagine sleeping or taking a day off to chill. But Sabbath rest is a form of resistance. There are powerful forces — both external and internal — that war against a Sabbath spirituality. To sabbath will require that we resist.

Week 03: Delight (Listen to Podcast)

Sabbath is not an onerous day for our religious duty but a life-giving day of delight — a weekly party. It’s a full day set aside to celebrate our life with God in his world. And it’s designed to be done in community, not alone. Few things are more provocative in the modern world than communities of joy. 

Week 04: Worship (coming soon)

Sabbath isn’t just a day to stop, rest, and throw a feast in community. Ultimately, it’s a holy day — set apart for and dedicated to God himself. Early Christians called it “the Lord’s day.” It’s a weekly day of worship by which we cultivate a spirit of worship all week long.

Ruth Haley Barton | Strengthening the Soul of your Leadership (View Show)

Season 17: Episode 1 | Awakening to God’s Gift of Sabbath (Listen to Podcast)

Season 17: Episode 3 | Sabbath as Resistance (Listen to Podcast)

Books

The Sabbath (FSG Classics)

by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now 

by Walter Brueggemann

Sabbath: The Ancient Practices

by Dan B. Allender

Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again

by Ruth Haley Barton

24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week

by Tiffany Shlain

Sermons

Bridgetown Church | Sabbath (Watch Series)

One of the most important practices of Jesus was finding rest and making time for Sabbath. The human condition is prone to restlessness, and our digital age and consumeristic culture only exacerbate the problem. We must model the restfulness of Jesus, which is more than just a day, but is a spirit we live by all week long.

New Life Fellowship Church | Remember the Sabbath (Watch Message)

Pastor Rich continues our sermon series on the 10 Commandments. He offers some fresh perspectives on the ancient practice of Sabbath-keeping. Sabbath-keeping is one of New Life's most important values, and through this message, we hope you will start the journey of keeping Sabbath or deepen it.

John Mark Comer @johnmarkcomer

Sabbath is more than just a day (though, not less); it's a way of being. A way of living in restful connection to the Father's love all week long.

I love that…a way of living in a restful connection to the Father’s love all week long. I desire that, and if you are a regular reader of this Dispatch, I’m pretty sure you desire that as well. If you have an helpful tips or thoughts around the Sabbath I would love to hear about them.

Until next time, Shabbat shalom!