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P R A C T I C I N G
SABBATH Fall 2016 Sunday School Series
Entering God’s Rest
R i t u al s a n d R h y t h m s f o r Bu s y Fam il i es
Week 6
Introduction# The!biblical!vision!of!Sabbath!has!the!potential!to!transform!our!lives.! Responding!to!the!invitation!to!do!less!in!a!culture!of!more!can!release!us! from!the!anxieties!of!scarcity!and!restore!a!healthier,!more!sustainable! balance!to!our!way!of!being!in!the!world.!Yet!even!if!we!are!ready!to!embrace! the!Sabbath,!actually!putting!it!into!practice!won’t!happen!by!accident.!Like! any!spiritual!discipline,!learning!how!to!implement!Sabbath!requires!planning,! persistence,!and!intentionality.!It!takes!the!hard!work!of!reconfiguring!our! priorities!and!taking!stock!of!the!pace!of!our!lives.!Practicing!Sabbath!also! involves!honest!self!reflection.!What!counts!as!“work”?!What!truly!brings!us! rest?!What!changes!would!we!need!to!make!in!order!to!find!joy!in!our! worship!and!purpose!in!our!play?!And!for!those!with!kids,!what!does!it!look! like!to!practice!Sabbath!while!skill!keeping!up!with!the!everyday!demands!of! being!a!parent?!Sabbath!keeping!is!not!something!we!figure!out!once!and!for! all.!It!requires!experimentation,!and!what!it!looks!like!to!implement!Sabbath! will!change!depending!on!our!season!and!stage!of!life.!Wherever!you!are!in! life!and!whatever!your!family!situation!might!be,!Sabbath!keeping!entails! identifying!rituals!and!rhythms!that!reinvigorate!our!souls!and!reconnect!us!to! God.!This!lesson!introduces!five!practical!tips!designed!to!help!you!implement! Sabbath!in!the!midst!of!the!realities!of!life,!work,!and!family.! ! !
Lesson#at#a#glance# # # # #
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I.####Establish#Boundaries## II.###Start#Small# III.##Embrace#Rituals## IV.##Experiment#with#Play# V.###Find#Sacred#Spaces#
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Notes#
! _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! !
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MaryAnn!McKibben!Dana!suggests!coming!up!with!a!“Sabbath!list”!of! “playful”!activities!that!you!don’t!typically!have!time!for!during!the!week.! What!would!go!on!your!list?!Why?!!
!
V.#Find#Sacred#Spaces## While!Sabbath!is!primarily!about!the!holiness!of!time,!certain!environments!can!help! cultivate!in!us!silence,!stillness,!and!a!deeper!sense!of!the!sacred.! ! In!Exodus!3:1C5,!Moses!encounters!the!burning!bush.!God’s!voice!calls!from!the!bush! and!instructs!Moses!to!remove!the!sandals!from!his!feet!“for!the!place!on!which!you! are!standing!is!holy!ground”!(v.!5).!It!is!often!assumed!that!this!was!a!warning!about! not!“messing!up”!the!holiness!of!that!place!with!the!dirt!and!grime!on!the!bottom!of! Moses’!sandals!–!the!ancient!equivalent!of!taking!off!your!shoes!when!entering!a! house!with!new!carpets.!But!the!ancient!rabbis!read!this!story!differently.!They! believed!that!Moses’!sandals!would!prohibit!him!from!coming!into!direct!contact! with!the!holy!soil!around!the!burning!bush.!It!is!only!with!bare!feet!that!Moses!can! fully!experience!the!holiness!of!God’s!presence.!! ! Like!this!story,!Sabbath!invites!us!to!metaphorically!take!off!our!shoes!and!bask!in! the!sacred.!Heschel!describes!the!Sabbath!not!so!much!as!a!date!but!as!an! atmosphere!in!which!delight!and!gratitude!can!creep!back!into!our!lives.!
!
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What!are!some!“sacred!spaces”!in!your!life?!Why!are!they!important!to!you! and!how!can!they!cultivate!in!you!a!deeper!awareness!of!God’s!goodness! and!grace?!!
!
!
!
I.#Establish#Boundaries# At!the!core!of!the!Sabbath!commandment!is!the!notion!that!God!places!a!boundary! around!how!much!of!our!time!and!energy!is!set!aside!for!work.!!! We!often!feel!that!we!can!only!rest!once!all!of!our!work!is!done.!In!this!view,! Sabbath!is!only!possible!if,!by!the!end!of!the!day!on!Saturday,!we!have!completed! every!task!on!our!toCdo!lists.!However,!we!must!remember!that!Sabbath!is!not!a! reward!we!receive!for!finishing!our!work!but!rather!a!regular!reprieve!from!the!onC going!work!that!is!before!us.!In!Genesis!2!we!learn!that!God!rests!on!the!seventh!day! even!though!his!work!in!the!world!would!continue!beyond!the!first!“week”!of! creation.!Similarly,!Jesus!often!withdraws!from!the!crowds!to!rest!even!though!there! are!still!people!to!be!fed,!the!sick!to!be!healed,!and!lessons!to!be!taught.! ! As!a!Sabbath!discipline,!set!aside!certain!times!in!the!week!as!a!“no!work! zone”!–!even!if!there!is!still!work!to!be!done.!When!would!these!times!be?! What!sort!of!activities!would!you!NOT!do!during!those!periods?! ! ! ! Establishing!boundaries!can!not!only!help!us!set!limits!on!when'we!work!but!also!on! how'fast'we!do!everyday!activities.!MaryAnn!McKibben!Dana,!author!of!Sabbath'in' the'Suburbs,!talks!about!doing!errands!at!a!“Sabbath!pace.”!For!her!this!means!not! rushing!through!the!grocery!store,!choosing!a!meal!to!cook!that!takes!longer!to! prepare!than!usual,!and!not!constantly!hurrying!her!kids!from!activity!to!activity.!! ! What!everyday!activity!would!you!want!to!do!at!a!slower!pace!on!your! Sabbath?!What!would!that!entail?!How!would!establishing!a!boundary! around!the!pace!of!your!life!on!the!Sabbath!help!refresh!you?! ! ! !
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II.#Start#Small# While!setting!aside!a!whole!day!for!rest!might!be!a!goal!to!strive!for,!it!need!not!be! the!starting!point!for!your!Sabbath!practice.!
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III.#Embrace#Rituals# In!Protestant!Christianity,!rituals!often!get!a!bad!rap.!But!they!can!play!an!important! role!in!Christian!spirituality,!including!Sabbath!keeping.! !
In!the!Jewish!tradition,!the!Sabbath!lasts!24!hours!–!from!sundown!on!Friday!to! sundown!on!Saturday.!During!that!period,!there!are!39!categories!of!activities!that! must!be!abstained!from.!This!type!of!Sabbath!keeping!can!seem!daunting,!especially! if!you!are!starting!from!scratch.!One!practical!way!you!can!start!experimenting!with! Sabbath!is!by!deciding!to!“fast”!from!one!thing!during!a!given!period.! ! If!you!had!to!choose!one!thing!to!abstain!from!during!your!Sabbath,!what! would!it!be?!What!would!be!the!benefits!of!fasting!from!this!one!thing?!! ! ! Writing!in!the!1950s,!Jewish!scholar!Abraham!Heschel!contends!that!“the!solution!of! humankind’s!most!vexing!problem!will!not!be!found!in!renouncing!technical! civilization,!but!in!attaining!some!degree!of!independence!from!it.”!While!Heschel! might!not!have!been!able!to!imagine!the!degree!to!which!life!today!is!tied!to! technology,!his!comments!invite!us!to!consider!what!it!might!look!like!to!take!a! “digital!Sabbath”!once!a!week.!This!could!entail!powering!down!our!computers,! turning!off!our!cell!phones,!not!checking!email,!or!staying!off!Facebook.!! ! What!one!form!of!technology!are!you!most!dependent!on?!How!would! taking!a!Sabbath!from!this!device!help!you!reconnect!with!God!and/or!your! family?!! ! ! In!many!Jewish!homes,!devices!that!are!not!to!be!used!on!the!Sabbath!such!as!keys! or!cell!phones!are!placed!in!what!is!known!as!a!“Sabbath!box.”!At!the!end!of!the! Sabbath,!the!box!is!opened!and!these!devices!are!gratefully!received!back!into!the! daily!rhythms!of!life.!Try!utilizing!a!Sabbath!box!as!part!of!your!own!Sabbath! practice.!
While!rituals!are!sometimes!seen!as!a!form!of!empty!legalism!that!is!unnecessary!for! true!faith,!they!can!help!infuse!meaning!into!the!mundane!and!invite!mindfulness! about!our!spirituality.!In!Jewish!tradition,!rituals!mark!the!beginning!of!the!Sabbath.! As!a!way!of!ushering!in!the!Sabbath,!two!candles!are!lit,!blessings!are!offered!for! children,!and!a!meal!is!shared!with!family!and!friends.!The!following!is!a!typical! prayer!from!this!SabbathCinitiating!ritual:!“May!our!hearts!be!lifted,!our!spirits! refreshed,!as!we!light!the!Sabbath!candles.!May!the!light!fill!our!home!with!kindness! and!peace.!Blessed!is!the!loving!spirit!by!whose!power!we!consecrate!the!lighting!of! these!candles”# ! What!sort!of!ritual!(broadly!conceived)!would!you!want!to!employ!as!a!way! of!marking!the!beginning!of!your!Sabbath?!Whether!practically!or! symbolically,!how!would!this!ritual!help!you!enter!into!a!Sabbath!mindset?!
!
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IV.#Experiment#with#Play# We!often!think!of!“playing”!as!an!activity!exclusively!meant!for!kids.!However,! purposeful!play!can!help!cultivate!Sabbath!joy!and!rest.! !
Recall!that!in!Genesis!2,!the!Sabbath!is!not!just!about!ceasing—it!is!also!about!the! creation!of!menuah,!the!Hebrew!word!for!restful!tranquility.!One!of!the!ways!we! can!become!more!receptive!to!experiencing!God’s!menuah'is!by!reclaiming!a!place! for!purposeful!play!in!our!lives.!Play!become!“purposeful”!when!it!not!only!entails! passive!entertainment!that!results!from!exhaustion!but!also!the!presence!of! activities!that!are!energizing!and!lifeCgiving.!This!could!include!hobbies,!creative! interests!(art,!music,!etc.),!working!out,!or!experimenting!with!new!pursuits.!!
!
!
II.#Start#Small# While!setting!aside!a!whole!day!for!rest!might!be!a!goal!to!strive!for,!it!need!not!be! the!starting!point!for!your!Sabbath!practice.!
!
III.#Embrace#Rituals# In!Protestant!Christianity,!rituals!often!get!a!bad!rap.!But!they!can!play!an!important! role!in!Christian!spirituality,!including!Sabbath!keeping.! !
In!the!Jewish!tradition,!the!Sabbath!lasts!24!hours!–!from!sundown!on!Friday!to! sundown!on!Saturday.!During!that!period,!there!are!39!categories!of!activities!that! must!be!abstained!from.!This!type!of!Sabbath!keeping!can!seem!daunting,!especially! if!you!are!starting!from!scratch.!One!practical!way!you!can!start!experimenting!with! Sabbath!is!by!deciding!to!“fast”!from!one!thing!during!a!given!period.! ! If!you!had!to!choose!one!thing!to!abstain!from!during!your!Sabbath,!what! would!it!be?!What!would!be!the!benefits!of!fasting!from!this!one!thing?!! ! ! Writing!in!the!1950s,!Jewish!scholar!Abraham!Heschel!contends!that!“the!solution!of! humankind’s!most!vexing!problem!will!not!be!found!in!renouncing!technical! civilization,!but!in!attaining!some!degree!of!independence!from!it.”!While!Heschel! might!not!have!been!able!to!imagine!the!degree!to!which!life!today!is!tied!to! technology,!his!comments!invite!us!to!consider!what!it!might!look!like!to!take!a! “digital!Sabbath”!once!a!week.!This!could!entail!powering!down!our!computers,! turning!off!our!cell!phones,!not!checking!email,!or!staying!off!Facebook.!! ! What!one!form!of!technology!are!you!most!dependent!on?!How!would! taking!a!Sabbath!from!this!device!help!you!reconnect!with!God!and/or!your! family?!! ! ! In!many!Jewish!homes,!devices!that!are!not!to!be!used!on!the!Sabbath!such!as!keys! or!cell!phones!are!placed!in!what!is!known!as!a!“Sabbath!box.”!At!the!end!of!the! Sabbath,!the!box!is!opened!and!these!devices!are!gratefully!received!back!into!the! daily!rhythms!of!life.!Try!utilizing!a!Sabbath!box!as!part!of!your!own!Sabbath! practice.!
While!rituals!are!sometimes!seen!as!a!form!of!empty!legalism!that!is!unnecessary!for! true!faith,!they!can!help!infuse!meaning!into!the!mundane!and!invite!mindfulness! about!our!spirituality.!In!Jewish!tradition,!rituals!mark!the!beginning!of!the!Sabbath.! As!a!way!of!ushering!in!the!Sabbath,!two!candles!are!lit,!blessings!are!offered!for! children,!and!a!meal!is!shared!with!family!and!friends.!The!following!is!a!typical! prayer!from!this!SabbathCinitiating!ritual:!“May!our!hearts!be!lifted,!our!spirits! refreshed,!as!we!light!the!Sabbath!candles.!May!the!light!fill!our!home!with!kindness! and!peace.!Blessed!is!the!loving!spirit!by!whose!power!we!consecrate!the!lighting!of! these!candles”# ! What!sort!of!ritual!(broadly!conceived)!would!you!want!to!employ!as!a!way! of!marking!the!beginning!of!your!Sabbath?!Whether!practically!or! symbolically,!how!would!this!ritual!help!you!enter!into!a!Sabbath!mindset?!
!
!
IV.#Experiment#with#Play# We!often!think!of!“playing”!as!an!activity!exclusively!meant!for!kids.!However,! purposeful!play!can!help!cultivate!Sabbath!joy!and!rest.! !
Recall!that!in!Genesis!2,!the!Sabbath!is!not!just!about!ceasing—it!is!also!about!the! creation!of!menuah,!the!Hebrew!word!for!restful!tranquility.!One!of!the!ways!we! can!become!more!receptive!to!experiencing!God’s!menuah'is!by!reclaiming!a!place! for!purposeful!play!in!our!lives.!Play!become!“purposeful”!when!it!not!only!entails! passive!entertainment!that!results!from!exhaustion!but!also!the!presence!of! activities!that!are!energizing!and!lifeCgiving.!This!could!include!hobbies,!creative! interests!(art,!music,!etc.),!working!out,!or!experimenting!with!new!pursuits.!!
!
! ! ! !
MaryAnn!McKibben!Dana!suggests!coming!up!with!a!“Sabbath!list”!of! “playful”!activities!that!you!don’t!typically!have!time!for!during!the!week.! What!would!go!on!your!list?!Why?!!
!
V.#Find#Sacred#Spaces## While!Sabbath!is!primarily!about!the!holiness!of!time,!certain!environments!can!help! cultivate!in!us!silence,!stillness,!and!a!deeper!sense!of!the!sacred.! ! In!Exodus!3:1C5,!Moses!encounters!the!burning!bush.!God’s!voice!calls!from!the!bush! and!instructs!Moses!to!remove!the!sandals!from!his!feet!“for!the!place!on!which!you! are!standing!is!holy!ground”!(v.!5).!It!is!often!assumed!that!this!was!a!warning!about! not!“messing!up”!the!holiness!of!that!place!with!the!dirt!and!grime!on!the!bottom!of! Moses’!sandals!–!the!ancient!equivalent!of!taking!off!your!shoes!when!entering!a! house!with!new!carpets.!But!the!ancient!rabbis!read!this!story!differently.!They! believed!that!Moses’!sandals!would!prohibit!him!from!coming!into!direct!contact! with!the!holy!soil!around!the!burning!bush.!It!is!only!with!bare!feet!that!Moses!can! fully!experience!the!holiness!of!God’s!presence.!! ! Like!this!story,!Sabbath!invites!us!to!metaphorically!take!off!our!shoes!and!bask!in! the!sacred.!Heschel!describes!the!Sabbath!not!so!much!as!a!date!but!as!an! atmosphere!in!which!delight!and!gratitude!can!creep!back!into!our!lives.!
!
#
# !
What!are!some!“sacred!spaces”!in!your!life?!Why!are!they!important!to!you! and!how!can!they!cultivate!in!you!a!deeper!awareness!of!God’s!goodness! and!grace?!!
!
!
!
I.#Establish#Boundaries# At!the!core!of!the!Sabbath!commandment!is!the!notion!that!God!places!a!boundary! around!how!much!of!our!time!and!energy!is!set!aside!for!work.!!! We!often!feel!that!we!can!only!rest!once!all!of!our!work!is!done.!In!this!view,! Sabbath!is!only!possible!if,!by!the!end!of!the!day!on!Saturday,!we!have!completed! every!task!on!our!toCdo!lists.!However,!we!must!remember!that!Sabbath!is!not!a! reward!we!receive!for!finishing!our!work!but!rather!a!regular!reprieve!from!the!onC going!work!that!is!before!us.!In!Genesis!2!we!learn!that!God!rests!on!the!seventh!day! even!though!his!work!in!the!world!would!continue!beyond!the!first!“week”!of! creation.!Similarly,!Jesus!often!withdraws!from!the!crowds!to!rest!even!though!there! are!still!people!to!be!fed,!the!sick!to!be!healed,!and!lessons!to!be!taught.! ! As!a!Sabbath!discipline,!set!aside!certain!times!in!the!week!as!a!“no!work! zone”!–!even!if!there!is!still!work!to!be!done.!When!would!these!times!be?! What!sort!of!activities!would!you!NOT!do!during!those!periods?! ! ! ! Establishing!boundaries!can!not!only!help!us!set!limits!on!when'we!work!but!also!on! how'fast'we!do!everyday!activities.!MaryAnn!McKibben!Dana,!author!of!Sabbath'in' the'Suburbs,!talks!about!doing!errands!at!a!“Sabbath!pace.”!For!her!this!means!not! rushing!through!the!grocery!store,!choosing!a!meal!to!cook!that!takes!longer!to! prepare!than!usual,!and!not!constantly!hurrying!her!kids!from!activity!to!activity.!! ! What!everyday!activity!would!you!want!to!do!at!a!slower!pace!on!your! Sabbath?!What!would!that!entail?!How!would!establishing!a!boundary! around!the!pace!of!your!life!on!the!Sabbath!help!refresh!you?! ! ! !
Introduction# The!biblical!vision!of!Sabbath!has!the!potential!to!transform!our!lives.! Responding!to!the!invitation!to!do!less!in!a!culture!of!more!can!release!us! from!the!anxieties!of!scarcity!and!restore!a!healthier,!more!sustainable! balance!to!our!way!of!being!in!the!world.!Yet!even!if!we!are!ready!to!embrace! the!Sabbath,!actually!putting!it!into!practice!won’t!happen!by!accident.!Like! any!spiritual!discipline,!learning!how!to!implement!Sabbath!requires!planning,! persistence,!and!intentionality.!It!takes!the!hard!work!of!reconfiguring!our! priorities!and!taking!stock!of!the!pace!of!our!lives.!Practicing!Sabbath!also! involves!honest!self!reflection.!What!counts!as!“work”?!What!truly!brings!us! rest?!What!changes!would!we!need!to!make!in!order!to!find!joy!in!our! worship!and!purpose!in!our!play?!And!for!those!with!kids,!what!does!it!look! like!to!practice!Sabbath!while!skill!keeping!up!with!the!everyday!demands!of! being!a!parent?!Sabbath!keeping!is!not!something!we!figure!out!once!and!for! all.!It!requires!experimentation,!and!what!it!looks!like!to!implement!Sabbath! will!change!depending!on!our!season!and!stage!of!life.!Wherever!you!are!in! life!and!whatever!your!family!situation!might!be,!Sabbath!keeping!entails! identifying!rituals!and!rhythms!that!reinvigorate!our!souls!and!reconnect!us!to! God.!This!lesson!introduces!five!practical!tips!designed!to!help!you!implement! Sabbath!in!the!midst!of!the!realities!of!life,!work,!and!family.! ! !
Lesson#at#a#glance# # # # #
! !
I.####Establish#Boundaries## II.###Start#Small# III.##Embrace#Rituals## IV.##Experiment#with#Play# V.###Find#Sacred#Spaces#
! !!
!
Notes#
! _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! !
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P R A C T I C I N G
SABBATH Fall 2016 Sunday School Series
Entering God’s Rest
R i t u al s a n d R h y t h m s f o r Bu s y Fam il i es
Week 6