My last blog post explored how Sabbath is another way for us to develop a different relationship with time. In this post, I talk about Sabbath as a spiritual practice. I do this for a couple of reasons. One, I want to share some specific actions you can take to make Sabbath a part of the rhythm of your living. Two, thinking of Sabbath as a spiritual practice makes it more than the observance of a particular religious tradition.
Sabbath finds its origin in Judaism, and later, Christianity adopted its own version of Sabbath. But, in my last post, we looked at how the Sabbath commandment was connected to the Creation story. With the creation of Sabbath, God wove the practice of Sabbath, and all that it means, into the very fabric of creation. So even if you aren’t religious, practicing a form of Sabbath can add meaning and texture to your life.
So what are some ways that we can make Sabbath a spiritual practice? What can we do with our Sabbath time that nurtures our lives?
We can begin by welcoming Sabbath into our lives.
Sabbath is not just another moment in time; it is, as Rabbi Heschel said, a “sanctuary in time.” As a way to honor this special place that Sabbath has in our lives, we can develop some welcoming rituals.
We could adopt the Jewish image of Sabbath as a special guest we welcome into our home. As with any other guest, there are preparations to be made. How can you prepare for and anticipate the arrival of Sabbath? There is the excitement of the Sabbath’s arrival. You could adopt some form of the Jewish practice of lighting candles and saying prayers that welcome the Sabbath. There is the sadness of its departure. What are some rituals for saying goodbye to the Sabbath each week?
There is the enjoyment of the presence of Sabbath while it is there, and that enjoyment is based on what you do, or don’t do, during your Sabbath celebration. There are a variety of resources that can help you. Rabbi Joshua Heschel’s book, The Sabbath, which I have already mentioned, not only describes the significance of Sabbath but offers some ways to practice it. I am going to use and expand on some of the ideas that Marva Dawn offers in her book, Keeping the Sabbath Holy.
Dawn offers four general ways to practice: Ceasing. Resting. Embracing. Feasting.
1. Ceasing
The name for Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word, Shabbath, that means to cease or desist. The most obvious thing we cease during Sabbath is work. In today’s world, we have to be more intentional about this. It may involve turning off your phone and computer. It may involve letting other people know that you will not be available for a period of time.
But ceasing is about more than not working. When we let go of productivity and accomplishing, we can feel how much our identities are tied to those activities. We know what would make for a successful day during the week. During Sabbath, we can feel the tug of the power of work and accomplishing in our lives. Can we let that go for a period of time?
For example, as a way of ceasing, some people choose not to wear their watch during Sabbath. They do what they want to do for as long as they want to do it. And then, they move on to the next thing…not because it is on the schedule, but because they are drawn to it.
When we cease from work, we may also realize that there are other things from which we need to cease and desist. We may need to cease our anxiety or our worry or our stress. This is not something we do as an act of will. We allow ourselves to feel their presence in our lives without trying to control them or getting caught up in them. This mindful acceptance gives us some space to commit to a Sabbath action that aligns with who we want to be.
2. Resting
Resting is not simply being idle or doing nothing. We can rest from our normal daily activities so that we can be open to other parts of our lives that do not get our attention but are important.
We can observe physical rest, but we can intentionally practice silence and meditation during this time. We can observe spiritual rest by reflecting on our relationship with God with some spiritual reading.
We can observe intellectual rest by doing some creative and reflective thinking. Read an article or a chapter in a book and record your thoughts about it in your journal.
We can observe emotional rest by using some time to be aware of our emotions. You don’t analyze or try to figure out why it’s there. You just let it be there. We are having emotions all the time, but our lack of awareness of them allows them to control our thinking and our actions. By letting them be there without judgment, we can befriend them and see what they have to offer us. Pick an emotion. Feel it. Reflect on it.
We can observe social rest by thinking about the relationships in our lives. Are we as open and connected as we want to be to the important people in our lives? What do we need to change to be more open and connected?
3. Embracing
With the practice of embracing, we recognize more of who we want to be, and we give expression to it during Sabbath.
We can embrace community. For some, this means going to a place of worship. But you can also invite people over for a meal and introduce a topic for discussion.
We can embrace the wholeness and fullness of life. So much of our lives can be dictated by the demands of work and others. We lose connection to other dimensions of life that can enrich us. Think of a part of your life that you haven’t enjoyed in a while and do it during Sabbath. It could be reading a book or taking a walk. It could be listening to music or playing a musical instrument.
4. Feasting
Remember, Sabbath is a special guest that you welcome into your life every week. So find things in which to revel and delight.
Feasting brings food to mind. Enjoy a food that you really like, one that you have not eaten in a while. Whatever you eat, enjoy it mindfully. Be present to the smells, the tastes, the texture of your food. Enjoy each bite slowly.
We can feast on other things besides food. We have already talked about feasting on music. We can also feast on the beaty of nature by taking a walk and taking in all that is around you.
We can feast on relationships by spending time with someone special or by writing or calling someone you haven’t talked with in a while.
There are lots of ideas here about how to observe Sabbath as a spiritual practice, so one final word. Don’t get so caught up in how you are going to practice Sabbath that it becomes another dutiful observance. Don’t go through these activities and choose from the list. Instead, let some of these Sabbath practices choose you because you sense how they can enrich your life.