Sabbath-Living He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.--Psalm 23 Personal • Light candles. Light them at dinner, when you read or during a bath. Say a blessing as you light it and let it remind you of the Holy Spirit's presence and comfort. • Set aside thirty minutes each day for Sabbath. Do something restful or nourishing during this time—pray, read scripture or other sacred texts, walk outdoors, nap, or enjoy a favorite drink. Spend this time someplace other than your office (another local church, a retreat center, a park--some place of beauty). • Spend a few moments outside each day just looking and noticing God's creation. • Don't answer the phone between 5 and 8pm. • When you wake up in the morning don't get out of bed. Give yourself time to review your dreams. • Turn off the radio and the phone when driving in your car. • Take your shoes off in your office, in your home, and in Church. • Take a monthly retreat day at a local monastery or retreat center. • Set aside one evening a week to have a Sabbath meal. Invite friends over. Make the food yourself. Light candles. Say a prayer of blessing and gratitude. Make it a joyful time of conversation and good food. • Declare a "silent hour" each morning before church. Family members can spend the time in silence alone or in their own space reading, praying, or doing other creative activities. • Set designated evenings as "television-free." • Consecrate one day a week as a Sabbath day. Spend the day resting, playing, praying and enjoying your family. Turn off the TV and other entertainment devices. Don't work or run errands. Nap. Take walks. Eat good food. Read. Spend time with friends. Church Staff • Designate certain hours as "computer-off times." Encourage one another to not use the computer during this time. (You could also designate times for refraining from use of phone). • Designate "silent" mornings where everyone in the office works in solitude and silence. • Cancel staff meetings for Lent or some other period of time. Use normal staff times for personal times of prayer, reading and reflection. • Set personal or staff retreat days each month. Hold retreats at a monastery or retreat center. • Hold each other accountable for maintaining a forty-hour (twenty-hour, etc.) work week. • Give each staff member a week of study-leave (secretaries, janitors, etc.). Use this time for retreat and rest. • Hold one another accountable for turning off (or eliminating) cell phones and beepers. • Pray together for thirty minutes each morning. • Commit to creating a church culture where no one ever says "I'm busy." "I'm stressed out." Or "Work is crazy!" Youth Ministry • Cancel all youth programs for a month (Lent?). Instead encourage youth to use this time for prayer, rest, families, play, scripture reading, walks outside, etc. • Cancel Covenant Community meetings. Encourage volunteers to consecrate this time for prayer, family, rest, reading, etc. • Design youth retreats with no agenda or schedule—just being together and enjoying nature. • Practice a day of Sabbath with youth and or their families. • Teach about the Sabbath in youth group--have youth come up with ways of incorporating it into the week. • Have youth group turn off television, computer, etc. for a week. • Always create periods of rest in retreats, mission trips, camps and other youth events. • Designate "napping" times and rooms at youth events. • Reduce number of youth programs. • Instead of youth group meetings have volunteers cook and deliver meals to youth homes to encourage families to eat dinner together. • Create a parent book group that reads books on Sabbath (Sabbath Time, by Tilden Edwards or Sabbath: Restoring the Rhythm of Rest by Wayne Muller). Congregation • Lead book study on Sabbath (read one of recommended Sabbath books). • Have pastor preach a series on practicing the Sabbath. • Cancel all church committee or business meetings for Lent, summer or other period of time. Encourage people to use this time instead for prayer, study, rest and family. • Dedicate all Sunday school classes to a month-long study on the practice of the Sabbath. • Hold a "No Television" month for entire congregation. Have people share experience in worship. • Eliminate all programs on Sunday afternoons and evenings. • Have ten minutes of silent reflection in worship. • Hold all-church or family retreats. Schedule few activities at the retreat. • Encourage and support families in eating dinner together. • Invite families to a simple meal of soup and bread every Wednesday night. • Hold worship outdoors in the summer followed by potluck. • Reduce number of church activities. • Create a prayer room in the church with candles, pillows and cot. Encourage congregation to use the room during the week as a place of "retreat." • Educate congregations on local monasteries/retreat centers. Hold congregational days of prayer and retreat at these local retreat centers. • Continually remind people that Jesus promises rest. • Continually remind people that children and youth need lots of slow time with adults.
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