Sabbath Rest: Stop Working

by Marilynn Chadwick

It’s been said that Americans are the only people who worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship. Maybe that’s why keeping Sabbath is so hard. Many of us enjoy feeling productive, and taking a day off seems to slow us down.

The word Sabbath, or sabat in Hebrew, means “to cease, desist, rest.” Put another way, Sabbath simply means to stop working. The very first use of sabat, translated “rest,” in the Bible is in Genesis 2:2-3 NIV: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Sabbath can be described as taking one day each week to rest from our work. Work six days and rest one, a rhythm which follows God’s pattern as Creator. Work and rest are holy. Both are an example of what it means to be created in the image of God.

So what are some practical ways to embrace rest and resist overworking? Perhaps we can learn a few tips on Sabbath-keeping from observant Jews. Worship, rest, family time, taking a walk, and reading are among the activities considered good Sabbath practices by the faithful Jew. What is not good on the Sabbath can be summed up in three words: “work, commerce [shopping and spending], and worry.”

During their trek through the desert, God instructed the children of Israel to gather manna for six days and rest on the seventh, a type of training ground for later Sabbath-keeping (Exodus 16:5). Even before Moses received the Ten Commandments, God was training the Israelites in rhythms of rest.

When God gave Moses the law, he reminded Moses of how he brought the Israelites out of slavery. “Slaves cannot take a day off; free people can,” writes theologian Dorothy Bass. In her book “Keeping Sabbath, Practicing Our Faith,” she sounds a wake-up call for Christians to return to the practice of Sabbath-keeping. Sabbath rest is a weekly testimony against the perpetual grind of a slave’s work, she adds. It gives us a picture of who God is and what it means to be created in his image.

God’s fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,” points us back to Creation (Exodus 20:8 NIV). More words are used to explain this one than any of the other nine, so Sabbath-keeping must be important to God.

Sabbath makes space for nurturing our families, our church, and our communities. Sabbath-keeping helps us care for our souls in an age when many are desperately thirsty for inner peace. Rest from our work is also a theological theme woven throughout the Bible. It describes the liberating life of grace for the believer who has found true rest in Christ’s salvation. Perhaps St. Augustine could have been hinting at our need for Sabbath rest when he made this famous statement in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Sabbath Rest: 2000 Sabbaths

by Marilynn Chadwick

I am reminded of the time David and I were invited to teach a marriage seminar to a large gathering of young couples. Wanting to focus on real life issues, we each made a separate list of our “Top Ten Marriage Tips.” However, we decided not to reveal the results of our lists to one another until the moment we actually presented the message to our audience.

It was fun to compare the different habits, practices, and insights we each felt had strengthened our marriage—right in front of our listeners. When it came time to “reveal” our top marriage tip, it turns out David and I had both chosen the same “Number One Marriage Tip.” It was simply this: Take one day off together every week. In other words, “Keep your Sabbath.”

Ironically, this was the very same advice our first ministry-couple mentors had shared with us way back when we were newlyweds. We took their advice to heart and over 45 years later, we still take our day off together each week. If you factor it over our 45-plus years of marriage and ministry, that’s about 2,000 Sabbaths!

Sabbath-keeping obviously looks different for our family since ministers typically work on Sunday, the day when many Christians celebrate Sabbath. Our Day Off is Friday. While we don’t adhere to a rigid set of rules, we have landed on some practices which make this day special, fun, even holy. We look forward to our weekly ritual of enjoying our favorite coffee. Parked in a quiet setting surrounded by nature, we share thoughts about our week and read through a few Bible passages. Often, we highlight and journal our specific prayer needs or play worship music. We sometimes laugh and cry about the joys and sorrows of family and ministry.

Long walks are a favorite, along with Netflix and special snacks reserved just for Day Off. It’s more about the regularity of Sabbath than any specific ritual. But God seems so very present on those sacred, sanctified, set apart days. Our weekly Day Off is more than just time away from work— it is a “want to,” not a “have to.” A gift of grace.

These times build fresh hope and healing. Our weekly Sabbath has provided life-giving boundaries to the rigors of ministry and gives creative space for our marriage and children to flourish. Like many today, our lives are very busy. Ministry comes with unexpected demands and emergencies. But most often, we’re able to keep our Sabbath calm and free from work. We believe our family and church have benefitted from our commitment to this God-ordained, ancient practice.

What are some ways you can begin to create a rhythm of rest into your own lifestyle?

Sabbath Rest: Finding Your Rhythm of Rest

by Marilynn Chadwick

Are you feeling tired today? Maybe you worked late, slept poorly, tried to juggle too many tasks, attempted to solve too many problems, took on too much responsibility for everything and everybody around you. It seems you’re not alone. America is a nation obsessed with rest—or the lack of it.

At my children’s high school one year, teachers sent home a disturbing article about sleep deprived teenagers. Researchers are telling us that people now fantasize about sleep! It seems the average person is very, very tired. You may be working harder, running faster, accomplishing more and more… but who’s watching out for your soul?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

I’ve been drawn to Jesus’s promise of rest after observing some very “exhausted souls” lately. Exhaustion can manifest itself as anxiety, depression, illness, addiction, or even self-destructive behaviors. This has left me thinking. Why are so many people crashing and burning?

What would happen if we revived the spiritual practice of Sabbath-keeping? I wonder if Sabbath—in whatever ways we choose to practice it—might help set us free from the weight of unhealthy expectations and lessen the anxieties of fast-paced living? Since the time of ancient Israel, Sabbath-keeping has been a life-giving gift of God.

Sabbath was meant to refresh our relationship with God and one another. For the next several days, we’ll explore the biblical and practical foundations of Sabbath-keeping. How does this once-a-week gift of rest bring peace to those who embrace it? How is Sabbath woven into God’s covenant with Israel? What significance does it have for Christians today? We’ll also explore some practical ways we can experience the rest of Sabbath in a busy, noisy world.