Introduction to Sabbath
“Shabbat Shalom!” My kids yell it at the top of their lungs. My wife and I gently remind them that it’s good to be excited about the Sabbath, but it’s not a competition to see who can yell the loudest. My son Nathan pipes up, “Daddy, I want more blood! It’s delicious!” Wow, that could be taken out of context. Ok, let’s back up…
Growing Up a Pastor’s Kid
As a follower of Jesus AND a pastor’s kid (being a PK can be tough), I grew up with a good sense of right and wrong. Going to Sunday school AND a Christian school, I received the complete package: Church, school, and home all working together, the Triple Entente. One of the things that was often talked about was the Ten Commandments. These are well known, even outside the Church. Don’t steal, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t lie, don’t covet, etc. These were all taught and talked about regularly.
The Overlooked Commandment: Honouring the Sabbath Day
As a follower of Jesus today, most of the Ten Commandments are still culturally normal and accepted. But in our fast-paced, hurried, side-hustle, and productivity-obsessed culture, one of the Ten Commandments seems countercultural, irrelevant, or at least neglected.
The fourth of the Ten Commandments says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God…”
How the Van Lunen Fellows Program Inspired Our Sabbath Practice
Last year, I participated in the Van Lunen Fellows program. It was one of the best professional development experiences I have ever participated in as a Christian school leader. Something that stood out to me (and many things stood out) was that each of our instructors talked about their practice of the Sabbath. They talked about it with a sense of awe, ease, and even contemplation… almost like talking about a cherished old friend. They shared how vital the practice had become in their leadership and lives in order to be healthy and flourishing.
From Fatigue to Rejuvenation: Embracing the Gift of Sabbath Rest
Growing up in a strong Christian family and, again, as a pastor’s kid, we didn’t have a formal practice of the Sabbath. The church tradition we grew up in didn’t emphasize it at all, or at least I never heard about it. For us, Saturdays were filled with chores, helping with the family business, homework, sports, and fun stuff. Don’t get me wrong, Saturdays were usually fun, but they weren’t really restful. We did not embrace the pace of love.
One of my favourite Saturday traditions was going for breakfast with my dad. Those are some of my favourite memories. Sundays were busy getting ready for church, rushing out the door, and sometimes stopping at Tim Hortons for a double chocolate doughnut and peach drink if my brothers and I hadn’t fought or driven my mom crazy that morning. After church, my parents would invite families (MANY families) over for a big lunch. Rarely was it just our family together on a Sunday. The afternoon would be filled with food, laughter, conversation, board games, card games (especially Rook), and playtime for us kids. Sometimes, the families would stay so long that my mom would have to reheat the food (she always made more than enough), and the families would stay for supper. After everyone finally left, we would help clean up, do homework, get ready for the week, and finally collapse into bed, exhausted. Those are great memories. But again, there was no emphasis or intention of Sabbath rest.
What the Sabbath Means: Beyond a Day Off
Now, fast forward. I’m all grown-up (well, mostly) and teaching grade five. My wife and I have two boys, and I found out about an opportunity to pursue a Master of Education. It was a two-year program through City University but here in Alberta. I could continue teaching full-time and attend classes on the weekends. It would be great! I would teach during the week and work on my assignments. I would attend classes on Friday evenings from 6:00-9:00 PM and Saturdays from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM. The rest of the weekend was filled with marking grade-five assignments, planning for the upcoming week of teaching, and more studying.
It was a great program, but at the end of the two years, I was incredibly tired—like deep, to the bone kind of tired. I was spread way too thin. I needed something—a deep rest and replenishment. In God’s grace and perfect timing, I was given a book called “Take the Day Off” by Robert Morris (2020).
Introducing Sabbath Traditions: Candles, Challah Bread, and Kiddush
In the book, Morris argued that “Rest isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a commandment. God modelled rest for us by resting on the seventh day of creation… Taking a day off isn’t about being lazy; it’s about being obedient and trusting God to meet our needs… When we take the Sabbath seriously, we declare our dependence on God rather than our own abilities.”
In another book, “Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives” by Wayne Muller, he observed:
A “successful” life has become a violent enterprise. We make war on our own bodies, pushing them beyond their limits; war on our children, because we cannot find enough time to be with them when they are hurt and afraid, and need our company; war on our spirit, because we are too preoccupied to listen to the quiet voices that seek to nourish and refresh us; war on our communities, because we are fearfully protecting what we have, and do not feel safe enough to be kind and generous; war on the earth, because we cannot take the time to place our feet on the ground and allow it to feed us, to taste its blessings and give thanks (p.2).
The Journey of Practicing Sabbath as a Family
I was convicted and convinced. I recognized my need for a deep, soulful rest. We decided as a family to commit to keeping the Sabbath. We experimented with different formats and did it on different days, either Saturday or Sunday. For us, our Sabbath always starts in the evening with the lighting of the two Sabbath candles (Zachor, which means remember and Shamor, which means observe), challah bread and the kiddush (the grape juice or wine), which we use for communion, praying for our kids, praying for my wife, having her pray over me, singing a couple songs, and finishing with a loud exclamation of “Shabbat Shalom” to welcome the Sabbath officially before starting our delicious supper.
Funny Moments: “Daddy, I Want More Blood!”
Remember my son Nathan’s comment? Early in our Sabbath adventures, one evening, Nathan chimed before beginning supper, “Daddy, I want more blood! It’s so delicious!” We had to remind him that the juice represents Jesus’s blood and, although it is tasty, he could not have any more. Sorry, Nathan. Good try.
Sabbath as a Soul-Care Practice: Lessons from John Ortberg
The practice of keeping the Sabbath has been a long journey that has helped me recognize my human limitations and capacity. It has also helped me find balance and replenishment for my mind, body, and, most of all, my soul.
Years later, when I began the Van Lunen Fellows program, our family was still practicing the Sabbath, but not in a deep and fully restful way. So, when I heard my instructors share about their Sabbath practice, I was intrigued, reinspired, and motivated to learn more about it. I have now learned that the Sabbath practice is much more profound than I initially thought. It is a gift with many layers that can be opened up one by one.
The Keeper of the Stream: A Fable
I would love to share some of the layers I’ve learned about and experienced, but I will save that for another post. To end, I would like to share a beautiful fable called The Keeper of the Stream from John Ortberg’s book “Soul Keeping”:
“There once was a town high in the Alps that straddled the banks of a beautiful stream. The stream was fed by springs that were old as the earth and deep as the sea. The water was clear like crystal. Children laughed and played beside it; swans and geese swam on it. You could see the rocks and the sand and the rainbow trout that swarmed at the bottom of the stream.
High in the hills, far beyond anyone’s sight, lived an old man who served as Keeper of the Springs. He had been hired so long ago that now no one could remember a time when he wasn’t there. He would travel from one spring to another in the hills, removing branches or fallen leaves or debris that might pollute the water. But his work was unseen.
One year the town council decided they had better things to do with their money. No one supervised the old man anyway. They had roads to repair and taxes to collect and services to offer, and giving money to an unseen stream cleaner had become a luxury they could no longer afford. So the old man left his post.
High in the mountains, the springs went untended; twigs and branches and worse muddied the liquid flow. Mud and silt compacted the creek bed; farm wastes turned parts of the stream into stagnant bogs. For a time no one in the village noticed. But after a while, the water was not the same. It began to look brackish. The swans flew away to live elsewhere. The water no longer had a crisp scent that drew children to play by it. Some people in the town began to grow ill. All noticed the loss of sparkling beauty that used to flow between the banks of the streams that fed the town.
The life of the village depended on the stream, and the life of the stream depended on the keeper. The city council reconvened, the money was found, the old man was rehired.
After yet another time, the springs were cleaned, the stream was pure, children played again on its banks, illness was replaced by health, the swans came home, and the village came back to life. The life of a village depended on the health of the stream.
The stream is your soul. And you are the keeper.”
Learn to keep the Sabbath and learn to keep your soul clean.
References:
Morris, R. (2020). Take the day off: Receiving God’s gift of rest. Faithwords.
Muller, W. (2000). Sabbath: Finding rest, renewal, and delight in our busy lives. Bantam Books.
Ortberg, J. (2014). Soul keeping: Caring for the most important part of you. Zondervan. p.13-14
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