We would do well to consider the “how, when, what, and who” of Sabbath in order to enter Sabbath with joy. 

How? Ideally, Sabbath is a literal 24-hour period in time where we cease all worry, work, and want and enter into God’s rest with feasting and delight. But perhaps this is not a season where you have 24 hours. So, do what you can, not what you can’t. In other words, be where you are, not where you “should” be. Consider keeping: 

• a 3-hour block

• a Sabbath meal

• a half day

• a 12-hour period

Stopping takes time. This is one of the most important and counterintuitive aspects of sabbath rest. In order to not crash into rest with all out worry, work, and want (desires) we cease and thereby slow down to prepare our mind, hearts, and homes to receive God’s rest.

Practical Considerations:

Sometimes it is helpful to do something that marks the shift into Sabbath time, something that draws a line in the proverbial sand and creates a clear distinction between the rest of the week and this special, holy day. You might want to reflect on something that would feel natural for you.

• Light a candle. You might even want to set aside a special Sabbath candle that you light only on this day.

• Stow away your laptop in a place where it will stay until Sabbath is over.

• Power down your phone for a planned period of time, or even place it in a drawer, out of reach.

• Read a Psalm or say a prayer, consecrating this time of rest to God, as an act of worship.

• Take a walk and watch the sunset.

• Enjoy a special Sabbath meal - is there a way that you can celebrate on the Sabbath that you don’t do during the week, with dessert or a glass of wine?

During Sabbath, there are no rules (how punk rock); that is, there are no should’s or to-do’s. Today, you have permission to let your body and soul have whatever it most needs to feel restored by Jesus. Consider the “inspiration” section below for ideas that may help you curate a day of delight.

Feasting is less about satisfying appetites and more about connecting the ‘gift’ with the giver. To help us see that indeed every good and complete gift comes from the one who is good and complete in himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) the Sabbath invites us to feast on God through his gifts.

Feasting comes naturally to most modern westerns and simply means food & drink. But feasting, as Marva Dawn in, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, outlines feasting draws us into God’s very nature through prayer, reading, beauty, affection, music, and the like.

My guess is you understand what’s meant by the expression, “feast your eyes on this…” The invitation is to take in the beauty and all is to touch a deep longing. Sabbath feasting wants to do far more than simply touch down on our longings but grab hold of ‘em and route them toward God in Christ.

As you prepare to feast, consider the psychological principle of pleasure stacking. Pleasure stacking is exactly what it sounds like; take all of the good stuff that you enjoy - food, drink, sex (in marriage) - and withhold indulging for 6 days so that on the 7th you can truly enjoy.

It is rare to encounter the person who can readily name their delight. Perhaps we’re inundated with pseudo-delights - devices, entertainment, alcohol, etc. - that we struggle to recall and attune to the appetites of our hearts or maybe we’ve never been invited to consider delight. Either way, you might find it helpful to reflect on these questions:\

What activities or experiences bring me a sense of wonder and delight?

• What is beautiful to me?

• What does it look like for me to play?

• What makes me feel most alive or content?

• What makes me laugh?

• When do I experience the delight of God over me?

• When I was a child, what brought me pleasure and delight?

When in doubt return to play.

When we were young we played. Why do we all of a sudden take ourselves so seriously? Are we really that important? Let sabbath play work on you. If that feels impossible try out these prompts to plumb the depths of play:

• When I was a child, my favorite game/activity was….

• I don’t do this much anymore, but I used to really enjoy…

• Music that makes me feel happy is…

• If it weren’t too late I would….

• The person I most enjoy being with is….

• If I could take any class it would be…

• I’ve always wanted to try…

• If I could wear anything it would be…

• Something silly I would like to try once is…

• If I was a little braver I would…