Hello friends! Welcome if you’re coming from my “The Importance of the Sabbath” post! I’m really glad that something stirred for you to come by this next post! Here’s the deal. My husband and I take the Sabbath very seriously. I’m sure my friends are annoyed at me by this point since I’m always talking about it!
Today I wanted to give a quick “how to” post about the Sabbath. Now here’s the thing, there is no cookie-cutter printable I can give you! Isn’t that the whole point of Jesus going against the legalistic traditions of the Pharisees?
Now don’t hear me say that we should totally get rid of the traditions entirely. I’m not saying that. In fact, my husband and I really love tradition, and we find importance in keeping traditions. The Pharisees were wrong not because they followed traditions, but because they found their worth in how well they could follow the traditions. Their hearts were hearts of selfishness, not of gratitude for such a glorious day.
I won’t be giving you an extensive list of things you must do on your Sabbath. No, I want to talk about things you can consider when planning for your Sabbath. And at the end, I will give you a little breakdown of how my husband and I practice our Sabbath each week.
Plan For The Sabbath
I love to look back at the Jewish culture and how they prepared for Sabbath. In those days, cleaning the house, preparing meals and washing clothes for the Sabbath was a must. No work involved the housekeepers as well. No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, housewives need rest too!
When we started Sabbath, we would go to sleep Sunday nights and wake up with no plan and no preparation. More often than not this meant that we either had cereal all day, or I had to cook something up because there was no more milk. Sometimes we’d wake up to a messy house because we just wanted to get the Sabbath started, but only feel stressed by the mess engulfing us.
Jewish woman then and even today work diligently to prepare for the Sabbath. Men as well would make sure their fields, livestock and such would be okay while they were gone. There was to be nothing to worry about on the Sabbath. Emulate our Jewish ancestors in taking the time the day before or throughout the week to prepare for the Sabbath. You can only thank yourself after.
A part from getting ready for the actual day, if you’re new to this practice, you must prepare for this transition. This includes finding a day that works for the family to rest, letting your boss know (if you must) that certain days you are unreachable, and perhaps just preparing your own heart for it. Remember what Jesus said about the Sabbath:
27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27
Just like in your Christian walk, you are not asked to give a performance. You do not need to have a perfectly aesthetic Sabbath, nor do you need to follow rigid instructions to achieve a restful Sabbath. All God asked was that you don’t work and rest. Prepare yourself beforehand to be able to follow this lovely commandment wholeheartedly.
Understand How To Rest
What is rest?
Before I break this thought down, here’s what rest absolutely isn’t: Binging. I don’t care what it might be, but binging is not rest. Not even close! Binging is just a modern day, fun word for gluttony, and gluttony is a sin! How many times have you binged something so much that you needed a rest from your supposed rest? The Sabbath is the reset for the next six days of work, and binging will never properly prepare your mind and body for another work week.
God really only told us to not work and to rest. Which, sounds great at first, but what do those two things really mean?
The most obvious thing is that, your everyday job that you work at is the job in which you should stop doing for the Sabbath. In our modern times this would mean no more office job, no more phone calls, no more emails. In ancient times, this meant no more farming, no more housekeeping, no more school.
When it comes to rest, however, how does God want us to rest?
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus makes it clear that he is rest. Before any hot bath or any massage, Jesus should be the first and ultimate place we all find rest. How would that look?
For me, that looks like building the proper atmosphere to have an epic time in the Word and in prayer. I talk more about this in the next section.
Now let’s look at how the rest of our day will look. My rule of thumb is do things that bring you joy. By joy, I don’t mean quick serotonin hits (like binging). I mean meaningful things that bring you joy and peace. Perhaps there is a skill you enjoy doing? Or spending time with friends? Enjoying your favourite drink from Starbucks? Being outside in God’s nature? Reading? Thrifting?
What you find real meaning in is up to you. Each person is different. Even if a show has meaning to you, do it. However, I warn you with everything, do not let your Sabbath become gluttonous. Stay away from that sin.
Another thing I warn you is this: even if your job is meaningful to you, you must take a break from it.
Yes! It sounds weird, but it’s true. My job in my home includes cooking and baking. While I love to do those things, it is my job. I do it three times a day and it can get exhausting. Its a blessing to find joy in your job, but God still knows you well enough to command that you rest from it.
Set Apart
In many Jewish homes, the Sabbath is a very special day, and it’s a day separate from the rest of the week. I’ve heard homes have specific Sabbath outfits that the family wears. Also, having special meals that are prepared only for Sabbath. My husband and I have special Sabbath plates that we take out and use only on the Sabbath. Also, we have certain activities like a book or something that we reserve for only the Sabbath.
The idea is that we understand the importance of the Sabbath and we keep it special. We keep it new and fresh each time, and we find ways to look forward to it.
How you keep your Sabbath set apart is up to you, but keep it special. My husband and I value tradition so much, and we’ve found how incredible it is to have this day different. We always look forward to the Sabbath and to do the special things that help bring us rest.
Embrace Togetherness, not Individualism
It’s important to note that, the Sabbath is NOT an opportunity to hide away in your little corner and shut off the world. Though we might want to seclude ourselves in our rooms, this is not the way Sabbath should be practiced. Sabbath should be spent with one another. That was the way Jesus practiced it!
Traditionally, the entire town would prepare for the Sabbath. You would enjoy Sabbath dinner with family, or friends. You would invite your neighbour’s to dinner and enjoy one another’s company. And on the actual day, you would spend it in the presence of your family and friends. You would sing music together, or play games. You’d go for walks and talk about God.
God blessed us with the church because he knew we needed that togetherness.
Based on what I’ve seen, I truly believe in our culture today, being an “introvert” is an excuse for us to be individual. I believe it’s wrong to be alone, and yet our society encourages it and even lies and tells us it’s good for us.
I’ve heard the phrase “I’m a lone wolf” far too often. Honestly, that’s possibly the silliest thing someone could say. It’s an oxymoron. Now, If you know anything about wolves, you understand that they are never alone. You see, A lone wolf will die without their pack. I tell you, there is nothing mysterious or intriguing about being a lone wolf – don’t let the world entice you!
In fact, humans were not meant to be alone.
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Genesis 2:18
God knew how much we needed community.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
God knew how powerful it was for us to be in a community.
In order to find rest, you don’t need to be locked away in a room by yourself. If you consider yourself “introverted”, that’s not an excuse to be an oxymoronic lone wolf. Be with others. You don’t need to be in a constant conversation with another person from daylight to daybreak. But being in the presence of others is where you will find rest.
Our Weekly Sabbath
Here is a little breakdown of how my husband and I practice Sabbath. This is in no way a formula for you to follow, rather, an example to help you understand!
Sunday Prep
By the time we get home, we immediately start preparations for the Sabbath. My husband takes out the trash, recycling and compost, harvests anything left in the garden and then helps me in the house. We focus on tidying up the home, setting the table for dinner with our special plates and I begin dinner prep.
I like to make special meals on the Sabbath, especially ones I know my husband would love. I always have a great meal, with fresh homemade bread, and a sweet dessert for after.
Sabbath Dinner
More often then not, we invite our families or a friend over to enjoy dinner with us. Our traditions are an adaptation of Jewish tradition. Mark reads a blessing for the table and guests, we light the candles, and pray for the food. We will always have red wine on the Sabbath (cranberry juice for kids and pregnant women!).
Sabbath Night
After dinner, everyone helps to clean up. I hate asking people to help me, but this is the one night I accept help. Once the kitchen and dinner table are clean, we will all play a game together. My husband turns the Wi-Fi off on the Sabbath because we are both prone to binging should we leave it on. Usually we play board games with our friends, or watch a DVD movie together.
By the end of the night, when our guests have gone, Mark and I might read by candle light until we fall asleep. Alarms are off, so that we can sleep in the next day!
Sabbath Day
This day is never the same twice. Breakfast is usually something quick like cereal (which we love and reserve for the Sabbath) or if Mark is up to it, he’ll cook up something for the family. For me, I try my best to get out of the house. Mark and I both work from home, so being outside, even if it’s just at a coffee shop, helps to keep us sane!
We also put our phones on airplane mode during this time so as not to be interrupted (unless we plan to spend time with friends and need to contact them!). We also remain off devices as much as we can and focus on skills or other activities to keep us occupied. Sometimes, I even enjoy a little spa day for myself at home with a longer shower, a full face wash routine, maybe do my hair and paint my nails!
Endless possibilities on ways we can find rest.
My dear friends, I implore you to practice the Sabbath. Do not let the world entice you to be alone and to burn yourself out. Listen to the Lord’s commandment, for he knows you best, and remember the Sabbath.
