The Practice of Sabbath
On Sunday, June 30th, instead of holding a gathering, Canvas is inviting everyone to participate in a community wide practice of sabbath.
The heart and soul of Sabbath is about intentionally creating space for deep and true rest in God. It is about taking a planned break from work and being productive in order to recreate and receive.
Traditionally, following the pattern set in the creation account (Genesis 2:2-3), the Jewish and early Christian practice of weekly rest lasted a full 24 hour day. However, with intentionality, the spirit of sabbath can be engaged in a couple hours, or half day. If it’s possible for you to carve out a lengthy stretch of time for rest, we encourage you to go for it. If not, that’s ok :) engage whatever time you have deliberately. Our focus will be less upon fulfilling a particular length of time and more upon learning to identify and practice what provides deep and true rest. If possible, try to set aside 2 hours (minimum) for this practice. If you have more time, a half or full day, all the better. What matters most is bringing a spirit of intentionality, humility, and openness to whatever time you have. Remember Jesus words (Mark 2:27), “The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath.”
In preparation:
Short article: Blessed Boredom by Joy Clarkson
Short article: 7 tips for Sabbath / Rest Preparation by Nancy Sleeth
Short article: Sabbath is a way of life by Dallas Willard
Podcast: Sabbath with families & young children
Ideas for creating an environment of rest and recreation:
Set an intentional break from phone and screen use.
Make a pre-set plan for having healthy, nourishing foods available.
Engage in an activity that brings you a sense of childlike joy. Hint: this might be something you enjoy but can’t seem to make time for very often like: singing, dancing, playing an instrument, reading fiction, or creating artwork.
Walk leisurely outdoors.
Linger in beautiful outdoor spaces like Franke Park, Lakeside Park, Foster Park, Bicentennial Woods, etc.
If you have music on in the background, choose music that promotes a restful, meditative mood.
Work on a puzzle or play a game that promotes teamwork.
Have art supplies set out and available for sketching, coloring, painting, etc.
If your mind races with urges to be productive or get things done, take a few minutes to get as many of those thoughts and feelings out as possible by journaling. Next, make a to-do list you can engage with the next day or whenever you are done resting and ready to be productive.
If your kids are at a challenging age or stage which makes rest feel elusive, is there a family in a similar stage who you could arrange a 2 hour back to back babysitting trade off with? Or, perhaps you and your partner could trade off for a couple hours?
Common Prayer (from Christ Church London)
God of rest,
Today I make the active choice
To enter into your rest,
And to join with you
In delighting in this good world you have made,
And dreaming of the perfect world you will remake.
I choose to tune out,
Of demands and deadlines,
Of performance pressures,
Of flickering screens,
Of that which robs my soul of joy,
And the ways in which the world
Seeks to define and shape my identity.
I choose to tune in,
To your affirmation and love,
To the celebration of freedom,
To worship and your word,
To the enjoyment of that which fills my soul with joy,
And reminds me of my identity in Christ,
As a deeply loved child of God.
Amen
A liturgy for a focused time of prayer, journaling, and reflection:
A prayer for Sabbath (Christ Church London)
Quotes for inspiration, meditation, and wonder:
Sometimes I have loved the peacefulness of an ordinary Sunday. It is like standing in a newly planted garden after a warm rain. You can feel the silent and invisible life.
― Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never come in busyness. They grow in rest.
― Mark Buchanan
Sabbath is not a reward for hard work. Sabbath is a gift that precedes work and enables us to work. (…) As with God’s Grace, rest is never a reward; it’s a gift.
― Rich Villodas
Our sense of being enough isn't something we achieve, it's something we receive. It's not something that we create, it's something that's conferred upon us by another.
― Ken Shigematsu
Ultimately, rest is an act of resistance against the siren calls of our idols to work for them. By stopping, we take up arms against the great Western gods of achievement, money, and self-determination.
― Adam Mabry
Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath … one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come.
― Abraham Joshua Heschel
