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Introduction

For the next two months, CCF will be diving into the Biblical and historical practice of

Sabbath. We will be looking deeper into the topic of Sabbath throughout Scripture,

throughout the history of the Church, and what Sabbath means not only as a weekly

practice of ceasing to work and finding rest and identity in the Lord, but a daily

awareness of living from that same place of rest and identity in our King.

This devotional will be broken down into five different writings focused on the theme

from our sermon series each week. Our goal in focusing on and preaching/teaching

about the gift, practice, and discipline of Sabbath is to empower you to take back

control in your life.

We live in a world that is constantly bombarding our calendars, our watches, our

phones, our workplaces, our families, our hobbies, our televisions, and our lives with

hurried paces, distracting images, broken relationships, incomplete visions, unfulfilling

activities, and very little time for rest. According to society, our worth and identity are

found in our bank accounts, our work, our family’s strengths or weaknesses, etc. For

some, at times this can be a great thing because of steady work, great finances,

happy relationships, and abounding resources. For others, this can be a nightmare of

persistently trying to catch up to others. There are many who are working more to earn

more, to feel better, and have more.

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There are so many variables that define us according to this world, and we cannot do

enough, earn enough, work enough, or be enough, so, simply put: we feel out of

control. But the good news of this devotional is the Good News of Christ Jesus: our

worth, our identity, our very life is not defined by the work we have done, are doing, or

will do, but our lives are defined by the finished work of our Messiah. Our worth is

found in the cost of His life, and our identity is established as children who rest in their

Father’s gifts of love, grace, and mercy.

The beauty of finding time each day to rest in the Lord is that we are declaring that we

are not God. We are prophesying into our culture that the rushing, the busyness, the

constant striving and earning is not the formula to finding rest, worth, identity, or life

itself. As we center our lives around resting in and abiding with the Lord, we will find

that we will not be rushing or trying to fill our calendars with more to do in order to earn

love, but we will simply live from the place of being loved as enough. Our working will

come from resting, our parenting will come from being Fathered, our marriages will be

rooted in being loved by the Bridegroom, our relationships will be filled with the

presence of the Holy Spirit, and our lives will look more like what Jesus has called us

to: love.

Our prayer as your read, as you pray, and as you practice the beauty of Sabbath

lifestyle is that you would come to realize that you are loved not for what you do, but

simply because God is love and He chooses to love you. We pray that you recognize

that God is always present in your life, no matter where you are, what you are doing, or

who you are with. We pray that the activities of your life would find deeper roots in the

love and grace of our Savior. We pray that as you look back and forward in your life,

that you would find assurance in the One in whom we find rest, peace, joy, love, and

life itself. We pray that you would rest in the Lord’s working, for in resting in His work,

you will accomplish more than a thousand lifetimes of your striving. Find rest in the

Good Shepherd, Beloved. He loves to be with you, and our prayer is that you will find

that same joy in being with Him as we journey together into Sabbath lifestyle.

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Questions to Prepare:

In what things do you find your worth, identity, or life?

___________________________________________________________________________

If the first place you seek worth, identity, or life is outside of the Lord, how can

you shift things in your life to find who you are in who God is?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Do you Sabbath? __________ If not, are you willing to implement this spiritual

practice into the rhythm of your week? ___________________________________

If so, what are the practices you implement with Jesus on your day of rest?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing on stopping, pausing, playing,

rewinding, and fast-forwarding. In what areas of your life do you need to:

Stop? ____________________________________________________________________

Pause? ___________________________________________________________________

Play? _____________________________________________________________________

Rewind? __________________________________________________________________

Fast-Forward? ____________________________________________________________

How can you seek the Lord to take back control over the pace of your life?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 46:10 states from God to His people, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

How can this verse be applied to your lifestyle? ______________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

How can you implement moments of rest each day to know that God is God?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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“God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work

that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:3

“remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” exodus 20:8

“I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know

that I am the lord who sanctifies them.” ezekiel 20:12

“then he said to them, “the sabbath was made for humankind,

and not humankind for the Sabbath…” mark 2:27

Growing up I (Pastor Fraser) shared a room with one of my older brothers. I am five

years the younger and so you can imagine the room was mostly dominated and ruled

by him. Two of his rules were having no lights on when sleeping and to listen to his

music until the ‘ruler’ fell asleep. The lack of light not a

problem - the selection of music on the other hand, a

problem. In the 70’s was the debut of the iconic and

legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath. You already

know where I am going with this. Picture yourself at the

age of 5 in the dark having Ozzy Osbourne vocally

assault you nightly with a not so censored version of

spirituality. The point of the story - the term Sabbath for

so long had been defined so confusingly in my mind

and heart.

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So eventually when I came into faith in Christ and a preacher spoke on Sabbath I

wasn’t that interested. The idea of Sabbath came with so many shadowed

misconceptions both literally and figuratively. Picture Jesus looking like Ozzy. I know.

Now that may not be your story regarding the term Sabbath. You might be reading this

and yet you have a fully holy definition of Sabbath. Or you may have no baggage

attached to the term but you simply view Sabbath as archaic and non-useful in today’s

society. Or maybe you see the validity of Sabbath but find it too hard to practice for

various reasons. I wonder if the challenge to practice Sabbath is somehow related to

how it has been defined for you?

Sabbath is a word used both as a noun and a verb in your bibles, over 170 times.

When taken at its root definition it simply means to stop, cease and to keep.

Traditionally a biblical Sabbath is a period of time (24 hours) in which we stop work,

enjoy rest, practice delight and most importantly contemplate God. Historically and

presently the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends at sundown

Saturday. In most Christian traditions, the Sabbath has been observed on Sunday.

During our “Taking Back Control” sermon series we will investigate some of that

history, for instance, the apostle Paul in Romans 14 considered one day for Sabbath

as good as another. Yet let me pause here as I can almost hear you saying in your

minds, “24 hours! You are right it doesn’t matter what day it is because that is

impossible!”

So with that out in the open, let me encourage you for now to broaden the definition by

understanding three important principles that I believe God is trying to convey to us in

practicing Sabbath: sacred space, sacred time and sacred modeling.

sacred space

sacred time

sacred modeling

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Sabbath as a Sacred Space: Israel’s worship of God throughout scripture was centered around sacred spaces such

as the Tabernacle, the Temple and/or the Synagogue. I believe the goal of having

sacred spaces is referred to in Exodus 25:8 where it says ‘let them make me a

sanctuary [literally, a ‘holy place’], that I may dwell in their midst.’ Theologically, God

was with his people wherever they went, but in a unique way His Presence was

localized. And this idea of sacred space continues today but is now so wonderfully

broadened to not just bricks and mortar (i.e. worship center) but to our flesh and blood

because of the Spirit of God dwelling in us and amongst us (1 Corinthians 6:19). We

now have the ability to be the hospitality of a sacred space with God. So when we

Sabbath (stop, rest, delight and contemplate/worship) it is declaring to the world and

ourselves that God has both created in us and dwells upon us as a sacred space. So

wherever you are (home, work, school or marketplace) you can Sabbath with God.

Sabbath as a Sacred time: Similar to sacred spaces, we read in the Word that God designated special times to

meet with His family. A time that would be set apart to celebrate, remember and

impart revelation into our lives. Although we are called to please Him at every moment,

special times were designated to focus amidst the distractions of our lives to re-center

our relationship with Him for our benefit and faith. So when we Sabbath we are saying

that this time is sacred to re-center our relationship to what God chooses to impart to

us. And I believe in this sacred time two things are imparted to us – a remembrance

and a rest. These two are so beautifully tied together that it is hard to remember if you

are not resting and it is hard to rest if you are not remembering. Rest is the fruit of

remembering because as we look back at His promises and see them manifest as true

He gives us rest (peace). Remembering is a fruit of rest in that when we stop or cease

we allow ourselves the time to reflect on what God has done, is doing and will do. So I

want to encourage you not to be discouraged by the idea of a 24 hour time slot to

keep the Sabbath holy but rather a sacred time to remember and rest in. Sabbath

should not be legalistic but enjoyed. Start small and let the fruit of it encourage you to

more.

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Sabbath as a Sacred modeling: Matthew Sleeth’s book (24/6: A prescription for a healthier, happier life) states, “In the

beginning of the greatest story ever told, we find the inventor of everything taking a rest

and enjoying his creation.” What an amazing picture of who God is and what He

desires of us. He is creative but He stops to enjoy what He creates. Many of us like

the creating part but we don’t stop long enough to enjoy it. Or maybe you are stuck

and need to rest so that you can dream and create with God again. God called the

Sabbath Holy so that we would in turn learn how to have a sacred rhythm that modeled

and embodied His holiness. In a world where everything must be served fast, the

people of God are called to a “crock-pot” version of holiness. Sabbath models to the

world that speed is not the answer to character formation or world change. The

Sabbath was given to the people of God as a symbol of redemption (Deut 5:15). When

we Sabbath we demonstrate to the world that we are a redeemed people, being

formed in holiness to demonstrate to the world who God is amongst us.

So I am hoping this new definition of Sabbath will encourage a new practice in your

life. Start slow by creating space and time so that you can model this to others.

Sabbath – a time to stop, rest, play and delight,

as I create sacred space and time so that I may

become holy and demonstrate His redemption to the world.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us by Thy

commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights.

May the Sabbath-light which illumines our dwelling cause peace and happiness to shine

in our home. Bless us, O God, on this holy Sabbath, and cause Thy divine glory to shine

upon us. Enlighten our darkness and guide us and all mankind, thy children, towards

truth and eternal light. Amen.

—opening prayer of the traditional home service for Sabbath eve

Dawn, Marva J.. Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting

(Kindle Locations 150-151).

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Stop. Before you begin reading, we would encourage you to stop and be still

for 5 minutes. Put your phone away, close down your laptop, open your

heart, and just sit in silence for 5 minutes before the lord. we pray

that this time is filled with a deep assurance and awareness of God's

presence and peace that would prepare you to read, pray, and apply

Sabbath to your lifestyle. amen.

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Focus: STOP

(Pastor Cameron Beyenberg)

“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which

He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits

and relax our nerve.” – A.W. Tozer

John Ortberg, a pastor and theologian, was talking with Dallas Willard, another pastor

and theologian, when he asked Dallas how he could become more spiritually healthy.

Dallas paused for a while, and responded with, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry

from your life.” Ortberg wrote this down, commented that it was a good quotation for

life, and asked for more advice. Dallas, again in slow confidence responded with,

“There is nothing else. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

Everyday there are billions of people hustling and

bustling around the world to finish their work, to see

the next person, to consume the next product, to

experience the next big thing, etc. We live in a world

and a society filled with the loud expectation that we

must hurry, we must strive, we must earn, we must

do, and that we must live according to other’s dreams

and goals. There are an estimated 7.4 billion humans

hurrying around this small world, and whether it is

traffic, long lines, or rushing ahead, each person is

attempting to find worth, value, and identity in the

things they possess, the work they are accomplishing, the money they are making, or

the people that surround them.

But, have we ever just stopped. Have we ever been able to push the stop button on our

lives and look around? Are we even aware that the pace of life that we are currently

living at is unsustainable, unhealthy, and is leading to an incomplete vision of life? Are

we even conscious of the pain inside our hearts, the beauty of the person begging for

food, the creativity of the small details, or the intentionality of the structures around us?

We are surrounded by the marks of God, but are we stopping to see and listen?

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One of my favorite past activities was watching the sunset over the ocean at my

college, Point Loma Nazarene University. Our campus was right on the cliffs of the San

Diego peninsula beaches, and the sun would set over the ocean creating unbelievable

colors in the sky while the wind would warmly and gently breeze across my skin. Often,

I would find myself silent. I was in complete awe at the beauty in front of me. I was in

wonder of the Artist who created color, who painted out the skies, and who was

present in the wind blowing across my body. A sunset still causes me to stop. No

matter what is going on, no matter how much there is to do, no matter what the day or

night ahead looks like, beauty makes me stop.

The reality at hand is that we live in a world in which there is such a fast-paced lifestyle

that we miss the Beauty all around us that is calling us to stop every day. We think we

have found true beauty in work, when the truest of all Beauty is found in working from

rest. We believe we have stumbled upon glory when we make enough money or have a

big enough house, when the greatest of all glory is found in the Provider who makes

His home in us. We assume that if we numb pain long enough by running from it

through any means necessary that all will be okay, when the greatest Healer is more

present than the next word in this sentence.

The Sabbath is given to humanity to remind us that we were not created to live without

stopping. Resting reminds us of the Beauty that is around us and within us. Stopping

allows us to remember that we are limited creatures who are dependent upon the

Creator who is good, perfect, and will always be working. Halting gives us perspective

of what is behind us, what is in front of us, and Who is with us right now. The difficulty

with Sabbath is not in practicing it, but in getting rid of all the things we think we need

in order to actually stop for one day. Sabbath was not created to be hard, it was given

to us as a gift so that we would delight, refresh, live and work from this place of rest.

With that said, one of the greatest ways that we can implement Sabbath into our lives

and daily moments is through the practice of silence. We live in a world of words, of

movies, of social media, of instant access to news, and of convenience. The practice

of Sabbath and silence gives us a tool to remind ourselves that we must live from the

Word; that we must spend time silently before the One who created the imagination;

that we must find our worth not in how many people like our photos, but in the

approval and acceptance of the Creator who calls us His masterpiece (Eph. 2:10); and

that the true life, the life without hurry, is found when we stop enough to silently listen

to the pace of the One who is leading the way.

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In 1 Kings 19, there is a story of the prophet Elijah who fled for his life in fear from

attacks by Jezebel and Ahab. As Elijah was in the caves of Mount Horeb, he saw an

amazing sight. He was instructed by the Word of the Lord to go stand out on the

mountain for the Lord was going to pass by. At once, a great wind came across the

mountain, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then, a powerful earthquake shook the

ground, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a scorching fire

passed on the mountain, but the Lord was not in the fire. Finally, Elijah heard the Lord

pass by in a small, gentle, still voice.

The literal translation of this word means soft, gentle whisper, or a very close second

translation would in the sound of silence. Much like life, we expect God to be the loud,

boisterous noise we hear in powerful winds, earth shaking quakes, or vehement

flames, but in this story and in our lives, the voice of God can also be found in the

sound of silence. Elijah is comforted by the Word of the Lord that comes to him,

calming his fears, speaking life and confidence back into the prophet who had ran

from his calling. How about you? Are you running from the voice of God or running

toward the voice of God? Are you listening only in the big things or are you opening

yourself to hear God in the sound of silence?

the question is not about whether or not God is still speaking, but

it’s rather about those who are quiet enough to listen. are we

rushing past the voice of God found in the beauty all around, or are

we stopping to take in the slow and wonderful depths of His love

present in the fast-paced world?

This week we want to encourage you and challenge you to daily moments of silence. It

doesn’t have to be a full day of silence, but it can be. It doesn’t have to be hours, but

it can be. Our goal is not to compete in who is practicing more silence than who, but

coming to stop in silence so that we may actually re-center our hearts in connection of

the Lord. This can be fifteen minutes or fifteen seconds—although we definitely

suggest stopping for longer than fifteen seconds!

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Again, the world around us is moving too quickly. We are rushing along, missing God

before us, and then complaining that God never speaks to us. We are hurrying past

special moments, beautiful encounters, and gifts of life that were meant to be

experienced slowly. The Sabbath is a gift and a practice that will help you to be present

and practice silence as a way to connect your heart with the King’s heart. Give it a shot

this week. Stop and be silent before the Lord. Maybe you’ll find that His pace will bring

you peace that surpasses that which you can understand (Phil. 4:8). Maybe, just

maybe, you’ll find that He’s already been speaking, already been working, already is

present, and all we needed to do was be present, be still, and be with Him. Here’s to a

week of experiencing the beauty of the Lord through silent wonder and prayerful

connection every day. Amen.

How to Practice Silence:

STOP. Remove distractions. Put your phone away, close the laptop, shut down

the tablet, turn off the television, and pause the music. In order to actually stop

and be silent, there needs to be an atmosphere for silence. (This may be hard

with children, and we encourage you to try this while they are at school, asleep,

etc. And if you fall asleep during this time, we celebrate the rest that is taking

place. God is not angry with you, He is simply delighted in the fact that you want

to be with Him.)

Set a time to be silent for. Again, this can be 15 minutes, 1 hour, or a whole

day. Do what you feel led to do.

Give yourself resources to be silent. Just like a runner will prepare for a

marathon, we should prepare to be silent. Make sure you have eaten, make sure

you have a space that is ready—close the door, turn on or off lights, etc.

Prepare your heart and mind to connect with the Lord .

Finally, be silent. There will be thoughts. There will be to-do lists. There will be

many things that come up, but just keep being silent. Write those things down -

there’s a reason they are coming to mind. If it helps, enter into silence with

thankfulness (“Thank You, Jesus”) or a small prayer (“Abba, I belong to You”) or

a simple word to re-center your heart and mind (“Jesus”). Just be still. It may be

hard at first, but just be present. The Lord is present and you will soon become

more and more aware of His heart, His voice, and His Presence as you are still

and silent before Him.

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Following your time of silence, write down what needs to be written down or

voice record it for later listening. Ask the Holy Spirit to seal up the things of God

in your heart. Take your time going back into the things of the day - again, this

about us eliminating hurry in our lives.

Stop. Be Silent. Live from this place. Repeat. Amen.

Questions for Prayer and Reflection:

In practicing silence, was it hard for you to concentrate? ______________________

Did you feel distracted? ____________________________________________________

Did you feel focused? ______________________________________________________

What things came to mind? _________________________________________________

What feelings surfaced? ____________________________________________________

What did you feel the Lord was communicating? _____________________________

What did you feel the Lord was not communicating? __________________________

In what ways do you think silence before God is a good or bad thing?

___________________________________________________________________________

Something to incorporate throughout the day, week, year, etc.?________________

___________________________________________________________________________

When in silence, what is the biggest theme that comes to mind and heart?

___________________________________________________________________________

If you were to tell somebody about stopping in silence before God, how would

you communicate about it? ________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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pause. Before you read this next section, we challenge you to pause and use the

space around this page to write down everything that is distracting you.

it could be relational, work-related, political, etc. then, we invite you to

write the name of God over each, declaring that his presence is with you

in those things. we pray this time is filled with clarity, wisdom, and the

revelation that God is with you in the stillness and distraction. amen.

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Focus: PAUSE

(Pastor Fraser Venter)

“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which

He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits

and relax our nerve.” – A.W. Tozer

Have you ever intentionally paused your remote while watching a movie or TV show to

capture a moment? Often it never freezes the characters face or body in a flattering

way. Honestly, they just look awkward. I think that is how we sometimes feel about the

idea of taking time to pause in our already too hectic schedule. So let me suggest

another analogy about pausing that I recently read in Matthew Sleeth’s book 24/6 to

help us move beyond the awkwardness.

“Six of us stood around a translucent, illuminated x-ray view screen. We were third-year

medical students, and our overall knowledge of the basic sciences would never be

better. We had mastered anatomy, pathology, physiology, and pharmacology. We knew

everything about medicine - in theory. Now we were ready for our first lesson in

radiology. So we took a deep breath, squared our shoulders, and stared at the front and

side views of the chest x-rays on the screen. “See anything amiss?” the radiologist

asked. Quiet.”

Sleeth goes on to describe the agony of looking at the x-ray and coming up with

nothing and then he adds.

“I’ll give you a hint,” he said. “It’s not something there but something missing that

bothers me.” even with this clue, we came up blank. And we really tried. We pointed to

one thing after another, but each time the radiologist would shake his head no.

Someone’s stomach rumbled. We were tired and hungry and ready to admit defeat. Our

teacher mercifully gave away the answer in his final question: “where is the left clavicle?”

Where was the left clavicle? It was missing. We hadn’t seen it because it wasn’t there.

The patient’s collarbone had been eaten away, almost certainly by cancer. The take-

home point? What’s missing does matter.”

(Sleeth, 24/6: a Prescription for a healthier, happier life pp.3-4)

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If we don’t practice the idea of a Sabbath pause we won’t even realize what is really

missing in our lives. And what is missing? A time to not only just stop as we learned

last week but to actually pause and see what is happening in us and around us. To

evaluate what is happening in us in the midst of the day and what God is not only

wanting to participate in but also partner with us in.

Can you imagine moments of pausing as a stay at home parent in the midst of picking

up the kids, doing homework, getting food on the table, driving to the next extra-

curricular event, coming home, and getting ready for the same thing the next

day. Seems impossible? However, what if you paused long enough to ask God what

He is doing in you as a parent? Paused long enough to ask for patience and wisdom

to help your child with that algebra class (fill in your least favorite subject) that you

barely made it through? Or simply pausing long enough to hear God’s voice remind you

of the gift of your family or of His provision. I don’t think we would ever want to miss

that. Do you?

Maybe it’s not in your home that you need the pause but in your marketplace. What

would it look like to pause before your next meeting, employer/employee, install or

customer and ask God what He wants to do in that moment? What He might want to

use you in saying or doing? Imagine taking a few moments every morning to just pause

and ask for wisdom in the job that seems difficult or the co-worker that seems

impossible or the deadline that seem insurmountable or the next sale that you really

need. Again, I don’t think we would ever want to miss that. How about you?

Pausing is simply saying that you will take a Sabbath moment to reflect on what is

happening in you (joy, anxiety, fear, caution, expectancy) and asking God to align or

submit these feelings to Him. Along with this, it is setting you up with a posture of

hearing what He would love to share with you, in partnership, in your day.

The Bible has a word that depicts the idea of spontaneous pause as it relates to

Sabbath and that is the word - Selah. The translation of Selah has baffled scholars

since being in print in both the Psalms (71 times) and the minor prophet Habakkuk’s

writings (3 times).

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A possible translation for Selah in Hebrew is Calah, which means “to hang” or “to

measure or weigh in balances.” (Job 28:19) It is the idea of ascribing value. Another

way Selah has been translated is “to praise” or “to lift up.” However, the most

common rendering of this word is, as you can probably guess…“to pause!” The idea

of pausing was used in the Psalms, which were mostly songs, to indicate when an

instrument or vocalist should take a breath and prepare for the next part of the song. Or

to let the vocalist know it was time to stop singing and just let the instruments play.

And if you take the prophet Habakkuk’s three verses using the word Selah as a pause

and to give praise for God’s mercy, grace, power and sufficiency one can see the

importance of this reminder. I love how the Amplified Bible transliterates Selah by

adding this phrase, “pause and calmly think about that!”

I would suggest that we should take all the ideas of Selah into the idea of our Sabbath

pauses so that we may carefully weigh the value of God’s Word and voice in the

moment. To simply pause all of our thoughts, ideas and actions and let God play His

melody over us. And then to respond in praise for His mercy, grace, power and

sufficiency for that particular moment or person in our day.

Now for the practical. Are you ready to pause? You don’t want to miss it. The

following exercise is a simple practice called the Examen, and will help you with your

momentary pauses. We are going to take a really simplified and integrated approach

to this type of prayer so that it becomes not only doable during your day but

encourages you to lengthen and deepen these times with the other practices we are

providing in the other sections (Silence, Centering prayer, Prayer circles and Lectio

Divina (biblical mediation)).

How to Practice the Examen and A Few items to Remember:

o Remember that the key to the examen type prayer is to pause long

enough to find God in the midst of your day.

o Remember the idea of this pause is not primarily an external change but

internal transformation and partnering with God in the moment.

o Choose ahead of time if possible one common act — driving to pick up

kids, treadmill, turning on faucet/washing a dish, using a towel, etc.

Throughout the day when this occurs, stop and take three silent slow

breaths and then do the examen as listed on the next page.

o The examen prayer consists of five ideas:

Acknowledging, Asking, Admitting, Repenting and Resolving.

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Acknowledge: (Don’t rush it)

Lord, I pause to say thank-you that you are with me in this moment.

Asking: Jesus, you see my current situation help me to see myself in light of how you

would respond, act, say or do.

Admitting: Pause long enough to hear the gentle correction. If it is condemning, which

is often our first thought, let it go, it is not God but your over functioning inner critic. It

may however be convicting or correcting. Allow a moment to let it sink in and simply

say thank-you for revealing this to me. This should lead to the next step, Repenting. If

there is no correction, and really that is a possibility, then move to the question

provided in the resolve action.

Repent: Once you sense the place of correction or conviction simply and humbly ask

for forgiveness. Then pause, be reminded and state that without His grace we can do

nothing but with His grace we can accomplish much.

Resolve: Now ask God to direct your next step or interaction. You might use this

statement internally, “Holy Spirit, I desire to be used by you today (work, play, words

or deeds) so that others see you in this moment and who I rely on!”

After you’ve paused take another deep breath, sense His peace & re-engage.

At the mid-point of your day and at the end of the day repeat the examen and

ask the following questions:

1. When and how did I experience God’s love for me today?

2. How did my awareness of God’s love for me affect the way I interacted with

others, my circumstances and myself today?

(Warner, Larry (2010-08-02). Journey with Jesus: Discovering the Spiritual

Exercises of Saint Ignatius (p. 63).)

21

Questions for Prayer and Reflection:

How well did you do with your pauses this week? ___________________________

Did you notice a pattern of when you needed to pause the most? ____________

___________________________________________________________________________

What did you learn about your relationship with God? _________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What did you learn about your relationships with others? ______________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Did pausing help you to experience an awareness of God’s presence? ________

__________________________________________________________________________

Did pausing help you to invite God into partnership in your whole life? ________

__________________________________________________________________________

Did you have an ‘Ah-ha’ moment that you’d have missed if you didn’t pause?

__________________________________________________________________________

How did the mid and evening pauses go? ___________________________________

Did your love for God grow? ________________________________________________

Did your awareness of His love for you grow? ________________________________

22

23

play. Before you read the writing on "Play", we ask that you first slow down

and inquire of the lord about how he wants to open your heart right

now. what things does he want to bring healing to you in? what places

does he want to open doors? In what areas do you feel he is calling

your attention toward? as you engage with the lord, we pray this time

is a sweet moment of preparation to receive more understanding so that

your life and the lives around you can be transformed. amen.

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Focus: PLAY (Pastor Cameron Beyenberg)

“The glory of God is the human being fully alive.” – St Irenaus

When I was young, one of my favorite family activities was renting movies from

Blockbuster to watch later that night. We would usually get pizza on those nights and

just enjoy each other’s company, laugh a lot, and have fun viewing whatever film had

been released on VHS. The only thing that ruined these nights was when we would pop

the tape into the VCR and the inconsiderate souls before us had not rewound the VHS

after they rented it. It was awful, especially because unlike other families, we didn’t

have a remote for our VCR, so I had to stand there pushing the rewind button for five

whole minutes until the tape was back to the beginning and my finger had a rewind

sign indented into it.

When the VHS was finally

rewound, we could push the

play button and enjoy the

experience of the movie.

When we hit the play button

though, we had to be ready

for the movie. We would turn

down lights for better picture

quality. We didn’t have to

worry about smart phones

then, but we definitely

silenced dad’s pager… Anything we could recognize as a potential distraction, we

would lay aside so we could be fully present and fully engaged.

When we focus on the aspect of play and Sabbath, this is very similar to what life is

like, isn’t it? We all too often want to push play and enjoy, but for many of us we need

to prepare before we play. We need to turn off certain distractions or silence the

constant beeping of emails, voicemails, and phone calls. The purpose of Sabbath is

that the play button of our lives would be prepared to be pushed, so we can experience

life from a place of being fully rested, fully ready, and fully alive.

25

Sabbath is the beautiful gift that God gave to us so that we would ultimately live life

from a place of rest rather than working toward a place of rest. In the creation

account, we see that humanity was created on the sixth day, with the seventh day

being a day of rest. God did not need rest, but He was modeling for creation what it

looked like to take delight. If we understand this correctly, humanity was made on the

sixth day, which would mean that their first full day was actually the seventh day. This

means that the first full day for humanity was a day of rest.

what if this was how we lived?

what if we swapped our “work weeks” to be called “rest weeks”?

what if we changed the name of the weekend

to the week’s beginning?

what if our first day of the week was actually the Sabbath?

how much more rested would we be in work if we worked from that deep

source of delight in the presence of God rather than trying to work

toward rest?

The Sabbath is the preparation that we need to understand that we are not God, that

we are dependent beings, and that we cannot, nor should we try to be and do

everything. Sabbath reminds us that we are limited and when we stop and pause to

remember this, it helps us when the play button of our lives is pushed. We are prepared

for the full experience of life, we are more engaged and present, and we are more fully

aware of who God is, who we are, and that our work isn’t where we find our worth.

When we Sabbath we discover that our work is actually where we display our worth. We

experience the fullness of our worth found in resting in the finished work of the Savior.

As we look through Genesis, we immediately find that our current play button has been

wrong for quite some time. The writer of Genesis describes the first day in this manner:

“and there was evening first and there was morning, the first day (Gen. 1:3).” If we are

looking at this correctly, we understand that the play button of our lives actually begins

when we are resting. This means our falling asleep is actually the beginning of our day,

not the ending. George MacDonald describes sleep as “God’s contrivance for giving us

the help He can’t get into us awake.”

26

Sabbath is given to help us understand that our resting in the Lord is the key to our

working for the Lord. Our play button is meant to be prepared for the full range of

speeds, colors, and experiences of life. When we are not prepared, or rested, we

experience a much different type of play; we encounter the rhythms of feeling weary,

drained, and inadequate; we start to believe the lies that we are not enough and we will

never be good enough; and we live for the glory of our own lives rather than

recognizing that the greatest glory we can give to God is by us receiving and giving His

love in the ways that only we can.

When we are living a lifestyle of practicing Sabbath each week and resting in the Lord

each day, we come to find that we are actually preparing ourselves for a better

understanding of how our lives should look when we hit play. Sabbath is the

preparation for us to live fully engaged in life, knowing what has happened, and rooting

ourselves in the Presence of the One who knows what is ahead.

One of the ways in which we can prepare to play and be present in the play portion of

our lives is through the beautiful practice of centering or contemplative prayer.

Centering prayer originated in the 4th century from early Christian theologians and

monks called the Desert Fathers. The basic practice of centering prayer is to find one

word or phrase that best centers you in connection with the Lord. For many, the prayer

“Jesus” is one that realigns them with God. Others will simply breathe in and out

“Abba”. Whatever the word or phrase may be, it is a simple reminder that God is

present, that no matter what is happening He is with us, and that we can live from the

foundation of His presence rather than any other foundation.

The more one practices the art of centering prayer, the more they will find themselves

turning to and tuning into the Holy Spirit when the play button of life holds more than

we can handle. The more we speak out the Lord’s name, the more able we are to

remain present when distractions come. The more we contemplate the beauty of our

King, the more aware we are of His Presence in the midst of life’s ugliness. The more

we center our lives on His wonder, the more prepared we are to fully experience life

rooted in the truth of who God is and who we are.

27

Psalm 46:10 states “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the

nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” This passage is a pillar for so many who are in

the midst of the stormy seasons of life. The authors of this psalm stand in the midst of

their nation’s battles to declare a stillness, a serenity, and a centering in the fact that

they are not God and only the Lord is God. This is the beauty of the promises of God:

we are promised rest, we are promised peace, we are promised presence, we are

promised truth, grace, hope, joy, love, and fullness of life in the One on whom we can

center our hearts before, during, and after play is pushed.

This is exactly what it means to receive and live in the Sabbath lifestyle: that we be still

and know that God is God. When we prepare ourselves to push play with that

information, our lives will be filled with the transformation of working from rest. When

we open ourselves and center our hearts on the King of kings in the middle of whatever

may be happening in the present, we will recognize that God has always been present

and He will continue to be present. When we root ourselves each moment in the truth

of God’s grace and love, we see opportunity to live abundantly and eternally.

So, what about you this week? Have you been preparing to push play, or do you need

to do some setting up for the full experience of life this week? Have you removed

distractions and rooted yourself in the resting presence of our Father? Are you living

and working from rest, or are you just trying to make it to the weekend?

St. Irenaeus was an early Church father who wrote many influential theological

documents and impacted the Church with very insightful practices of worship and

prayer. One of his famous writings includes the quotation: “The glory of God is the

human being fully alive.” If we were to think of this quotation and the play button of our

lives, are we living as human beings fully alive, or are we just getting through the week?

Are we living from a prepared place of rest in God’s presence so that we can live

presently in God’s presence? Are we giving God glory in the way that we live outside of

Sunday morning worship, or are we compartmentalizing our lives into a spiritual life and

a work life?

Sabbath is all about the children of God finding their source for life in the One who declares

himself as life. this week, we want to encourage you to center yourself in the preparing

Presence of our king. we want to challenge you to look at new ways in which the play

button of your life can be pushed, so that you would be ready, rested, and engaged in

whatever may happen. we want to exhort you to a higher place of living as one who is fully

alive, because in doing so, we are glorifying the One who is fully alive in us.

28

Be still, Beloved, God is God, and you are not. You can live from resting in His work.

You can start your weeks from a position of Sabbath, rather than trying to just get by.

You can begin your days from the gift of sleep the Lord gives. You can prepare yourself

for what is ahead and remain present, by simply preparing yourself. Resting in the Lord

will give you everything you need to work, do, and be. The question is: are you ready to

push play?

How to Practice Centering Prayer:

• Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, relax, and quiet yourself. Be present and

make yourself aware of God’s presence.

• Choose a sacred word or phrase that best supports your sincere intention to be

in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you.

• Let that word or phrase be gently present as your symbol of your sincere

intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you.

• If you feel certain thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, etc. come forth,

return to your sacred word or phrase. After you pray would be a great time to

think through these things, but the purpose of centering prayer is to simply

make you presently aware of the Lord and His love over, in, and around you.

• At the end of your time, simply sit in silence and allow the Lord to lead you into

what is next. The purpose of Centering Prayer is not to reach a goal, but rather

to deepen your relationship with the Lord through engaging with His Presence

and inviting Him into every space in your life.

29

Questions for Prayer and Reflection:

• What was the phrase or word you felt led to speak out during Centering Prayer?

__________________________________________________________________________

Why this phrase or word? ______________________________________________

When you speak out the word/phrase, what do you feel? Think? Hear? ________

__________________________________________________________________________

What do you become aware of? How does this help you center your life?

__________________________________________________________________________

• What surprised you about Centering Prayer? ________________________________

What did not surprise you? _______________________________________________

• Do you feel like Centering Prayer and Sabbath will better prepare you to push

the play button in your life? ________ If not, what will? ______________________

If so, how can this become a normal habit for your weekly and daily life with the

Lord?_____________________________________________________________________

• What is one way that you can shift your mindset, schedule, and life to match

the rhythm of creation in living and working from rest rather than living and

working toward rest? ______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

30

31

rewind. Before digging into this next reading, we ask that you spend time in

reflection and remembrance. use the space around this page to jot down

the memories of God's faithfulness, goodness, peace, presence, love, hope,

etc. root yourself in the joys of remembering that God is who God says

he is, and that we can come to this next devotional entry knowing that

God has more great things to share with us. we pray you are reminded of

the kindness of our king as he invites you to be present with him today.

amen.

32

Focus: REWIND

(Pastor Fraser Venter)

"Remember—there's nothing so difficult and no stronghold

so impregnable that it can't be broken down

(and you built up) by Love." – Catherine of Sienna

“Do you remember the 21st night of September?

love was changing the minds of pretenders

while chasing the clouds away, Our hearts were ringing,

In the key that our souls were singing.

as we danced in the night, remember how the stars stole the night away

Ba de ya - say do you remember, Ba de ya - dancing in September,

Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day”

September - Earth, Wind and Fire

You know you want to sing it out loud. Go ahead. Make a joyful noise and let nostalgia

wash over you. Little did Earth, Wind and Fire know that they were creating memories

for us by asking us to simply remember. Memories of wedding dance floors, karaoke,

laughter and a lot of “ba de ya’s” (memory so good it doesn’t have words yet).

Do you know the story behind this song? Allee Willis was a struggling songwriter in LA -

until when in 1978 she got a call from Maurice White, the leader of Earth, Wind &

Fire. Willis was given the offer of a lifetime, to co-write on the band's upcoming

album. When Willis arrived at the studio the next day she opened the door and they had

just written the intro to 'September.' She thought, “Dear God, let this be what they want

me to write! Cause it was obviously the happiest-sounding song in the world," Willis

says. Maurice also says something so profound about the opening line of "Do you

remember?” Maurice says, “The question results in us supplying the memories. It's a

song that can bring all of the generations together, which makes it perfect for family

gatherings. The true meaning is up to us.

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The true meaning of remembering is up to us and to bring all the generations together!

Funny where you can find great theologians these days! To remember is to rewind and

to rewind is to Sabbath. Not just unwind but rewind.

As you are now aware through the Sabbath series, your bible contains two primary

sources for the Ten Commandments. One list is found in Exodus 20:1–17 and a

second list is found in Deuteronomy 5:6–21. However, even though the lists are the

same in both places, some differences exist in the way they are described, especially

when it comes to understanding the Sabbath. In Exodus, the Sabbath commandment

focuses on God resting after creation on the seventh day: As I shared in the week of

PAUSE about Sabbath and sacred modeling, it was an opportunity for the Israelites to

imitate God in regards to the rhythm of creation and life.

In Deuteronomy, the focus is not so much on resting from creation but on

understanding the remembrance of redemption. Sabbath was a time to remember

God’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. The ability to enjoy Sabbath is based

on the foundation that God’s redemption gives the people an opportunity for Sacred

space and time. As we fast forward to the gift of salvation, resulting in our redemption

that Christ gives us, it is not a burden to bear in practicing Sabbath but a thankful

remembrance that with Him we can.

Now go ahead and read these passages aloud which describe the 2 ideas of Sabbath.

“Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy” “The Lord made the heavens and the

earth, the sea, and everything that is in them in six days, but rested on the seventh

day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8,11)

“Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you”

“Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out of

there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That’s why the Lord your God

commands you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deuteronomy 5:12,15)

Did you notice the verb that each of these passages begin with, to Remember! It

seems obvious that God in His great wisdom is reminding us of the importance of

remembering. Why? I believe it is because He wants to remind us of both His nature

and His intention in order for us to model Sabbath in our daily lives. In addition to this

the other verb found in Deuteronomy, Observe challenges us to obedience.

Remembrance of His creative rest and redemption is our motivation and observing is

our loving response of obedience.

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Throughout scripture, to remember is to encourage the people to look back (rewind) to

the continual faithfulness of His promises. To remember how God acted and spoke to

those in ages past. And for us it is to view that which we are facing presently, in light

of what He has already done. And for us to add this truth in faith and to apply it with a

hopeful expectation. God does what He says and He says what He does. A Sabbath

rewind allows me to stop and remember this important truth.

When we take time in the obedient moments of Sabbath to rewind and remember both

His redemption and His creative rhythm of rest and work, we are saying to God that we

trust in His salvation, provision and rest.

to remember is to rewind and to rewind is to Sabbath.

As we learn to stop, pause, and play in our Sabbath moments we now must add the

fourth component of rewind. I think one of the greatest ways to rewind (remember) is

to place ourselves humbly in His spoken Word. Paul the Apostle said, “Let the word of

Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). So what does it mean to have Christ’s

Word dwelling in us? I love how one author helps us to understand this idea,

If you have a favorite author or two, you enjoy reading their literary works. Sometimes

you can’t get enough, so you search for everything they wrote, even their letters and

biography, because these can often reveal important things about the personal life and

thoughts of the author. But the people we know the best are those we live with and

share our lives with on a personal, intimate level.

Eugene Peterson aptly quotes, “We don’t read the Bible to get God into our world but

to get ourselves into his world.” And I would add, to remember how God speaks and

acts in His world that we live in.

Also, remember when we read the words of Scripture it is not to mainly seek wisdom

and inspiration for living a better life. A good motive indeed. But God wants his Word

to not simply improve or reform us. He wants His Word to transform our every thought

and action. Taking time in your Sabbath moments to rewind and remember His Words

can help in this transformation.

Are you ready to remember and rewind in your Sabbath moments? Are you ready to

create some ‘Ba de ya’ moments? You will find a whole new level of experience in your

Sabbath when you rewind and remember.

35

How to Practice Rewind in your Sabbath:

I would encourage you to plan ahead and choose a small passage of Scripture

or a chapter that you will use in your Sabbath. Also, I encourage you to not play

Bible roulette but be mindful of the passage so that you can really sink into it

and let it sink into you.

o You may want to choose a passage like John 3:16-17; Psalm 23:1-6l;

Psalm 46:10 or 1 John 4:7-21; Exodus 20:8-11: Deuteronomy 5:12-15;

Matthew 5:1-13, 6:9-13.

o I would also suggest that you try to commit these passages to memory so

that you can recall them and incorporate them during any of your Sabbath

moments (stop, pause, play, rewind or fast forward).

When you find the passage that you will use in your Sabbath moment, stop, take

a deep breath and ask Holy Spirit to help you enter into this promise with Him.

After slowly (and I mean slowwwwwwwwwwly) reading the passage a few times,

go back through and ask God to highlight a word or phrase that you sense you

are supposed to focus in on. Remember this is not a Bible study but a time for

God’s word to be studying you.

Once you have that word or phrase, begin to remember (rewind) how you have

seen this promise enacted in your life, in others, in His Word. Be mindful of what

comes to mind and how it makes you feel.

Ask Jesus to help you with applying this promise to your current circumstance.

Remember to thank Him for slowing you down and helping you to be obedient in

the rhythms of your life.

Remember to thank Him for the purpose of Sabbath, to not only rest but to

remember your redemption.

If you want another exercise to add to the above try the following. Take a

passage like Psalm 46:10 and slowly subtract a word.

o For example, the passage is Be still and know that I am God. Be still and

know that I am. Be still and know that I. Be still and know that. Be still and

know. Be still and. Be still. Be.

o Pay attention to what God brings to remembrance in each subtraction.

36

Questions for Prayer and Reflection:

When you think of taking time to Sabbath rewind (remember) what comes to

your mind? Excitement, Boredom, Indifference, Nervousness? All of the above?

___________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think that is? ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What have been some of the challenges of putting this practice of Sabbath into

your day or week? __________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What have been some of the benefits of a Sabbath rewind? ___________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What have been some of the highlights or insights you have received from God’s

Word about yourself, about God, about the past or present? __________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Review the last four weeks and the practices of Stop, Pause, Play and now

Rewind. What have you learned about taking back control in your life through

Sabbath? __________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

37

38

fast forward. as you start this next section, we encourage you to simply come in a

posture of trust. this can mean silence, this can mean movement, this can

mean words, this can mean songs. we just want to invite you to engage

with the lord through an intentional action of trust. Speak out, "I trust

you." Sing out, "your love never fails." Sit in the silence of his

faithfulness. walk around in the glory of his constant presence. Just

come in trust. we pray this time is an encounter and experience of the

confidence and assurance we have in the king's faithfulness. amen.

39

Focus: FAST FORWARD

(Pastor Cameron Beyenberg)

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did

most for the present world were precisely those

who thought most of the next.” – C.S. Lewis

Adam Sandler starred in a film called Click in the year 2006. The movie follows the

journey of Sandler’s character, who is a junior partner in an architecture firm. The story

continues throughout the stresses of his work, the troubles of his home life, and how

he simply wants to just get past the stage of life he is in, so that he can enjoy the next

stage of being a partner, having more time and money to be with family.

The twist in the film is when Sandler stumbles upon a remote that

allows him to fast forward past certain things in his life: a fight with his

wife, a hard family dinner with in-laws, and finally the time it takes for

his promotion. However, once he starts clicking past these life

moments, the remote begins to remember things he wants to move

past. He ends up missing his children growing up, his daughter’s

wedding, and many other important life events, waking up to find

himself in the hospital on his death bed, divorced, hurting, and alone.

He discovers that although there are some things in life we want to fast forward past

for convenience, the key to a better future is through remaining present in hope.

Isn’t this so similar to our lives? Don’t we find ourselves wanting to fast forward through

the difficult, the painful, the annoying, the patience-testing, and all the other things of

life? Not only this, but we often come to the place where we get caught up only with

what will take place in the future, but we miss the present and we disregard the past.

We find ourselves feeling anxious, stressed, doubtful, or fearful when we miss the

present and live in either the past or the future. But, we are not left alone. God gives us

the beautiful gift of resting with Him through Sabbath.

The purpose of Sabbath is to hold the past, present, and future in the Lord’s limitless

and abundant love. It is to come to the Father with all things from our past, all things

of our present, and all things of our future, handing our lives to His grace and trusting

that all things are held together in Him and for Him. When we Sabbath, we come back

to a position before the Lord where we are not trying to fast forward, but are reminded

that hope gives us the ability to stay present and look forward to what is promised.

40

When we rest in the Lord each week and each day, we begin to discover that anxiety,

stress, doubt, worry, and fear are not our inheritance. We see more clearly that we are

covered, filled, and surrounded with the presence of the Holy Spirit. We remember that

our Lord already knows what we need, and that He has already been at work, even

before we started thinking about whatever it may be. When we Sabbath, we are

empowered to remove any temptation to fast forward because we remain present when

we rest and abide with our King.

One thing that the Sabbath corrects in us is the thought that the next season is where

we should be. This is a common thread through all the dynamics of life: the thought

that if I were already in the next job, the married life, or retired that I will be happy.

Sabbath reminds us that no matter if we are single or married, unemployed or a CEO,

living slowly or living too quickly, that God is present and God is joy. Sabbath centers

us in the reality that we can be present, receiving God’s presence and joy, and living

from this place.

We no longer have to wish for things to speed up. We no longer have to look elsewhere

for our hope or joy. We no longer have to click past certain seasons or relationships in

our lives. Rather, we can stay tuned into the greatness of the pace, the vision, the

timing, and the clarity of the Prince of Peace. Our perspective is shifted to rest in the

present, knowing that in our waiting, God is present, just as much as He will be in the

future.

God also offers us through the Sabbath a wonderful gift of recognizing that His

redemption covers our past, present, and future. As we rest, we are better able to

understand how He has loved us, how He is loving, and how He will love us. As we

receive His grace, we are better empowered to receive His grace in the future as well.

Our doubts of His promise are not the focus of our lives when we find that our present

is held by the One who also holds the future.

And as we fix our attention and hearts upon our Sustainer, we are better able to partner

with what He has already been doing and will continue to do. We come to a more clear

place of communication with the King who has given us choices, and loves to

empower us to choose the ways of His love, grace, and truth.

41

The thing is that trial and tribulation are promised. When we Sabbath, that doesn’t

mean the challenges won’t come, it simply means that we don’t have to face them

alone, or from our tired, broken places. Sabbath presents us with the opportunity to

partner with the God who calls things that don’t exist, as though they do (Rom. 4:17).

We can agree with the Prophetic Voice of our Father who is speaking His good and

perfect things over us, through us, around us, and for us.

the question is: are we taking moments or a day, to actually listen

or are we fast-forwarding past his voice? are we reminding ourselves

in the moments of pain of how much the Father loves us and is

there, or are we simply trying to move past these feelings as

quickly as possible? are we agreeing with the One who is speaking

his best intentions over us or are we more concerned with other

intentions and voices in our lives?

Each week, Sabbath is our opportunity to live free from anxiety, stress, doubt, worry,

and fear, because when we Sabbath we allow the presence of Peace, Hope,

Faithfulness, and Love to enter into not just that time period, but all of our lives.

Sabbath gives us the tools to live more abundantly in the Lord’s Goodness, as we get

the opportunity to align ourselves with His Goodness each day. Sabbath enlivens our

confidence to live from the place of victory already won through Christ Jesus. Our

paradigms are changed in Sabbath lifestyle, because we begin thinking from who God

was, is, and will be, rather than limiting ourselves to a thought-life restricted by

temporary things.

One way to stay present, yet look forward to what is ahead, is through the art of circle

prayer. Mark Batterson wrote a book called The Circle Maker in which he tells the story

of a Hebrew man named Honi who prayed for rain in the midst of a

long drought and famine in Israel. He drew a circle around where

he was standing, and told God that he would not move from the

circle until it rained on the land. It rained once, but was only a

drizzle. Honi prayed again, so it rained once more, but it was

coming down very hard. This was unsustainable to the crops, so

Honi prayed again for a sustainable rain. The rain started come

down in a manner that was good for the people, the crops, and the land.

42

Batterson tells this story to remind us that we are called to pray big prayers. He says

that our small prayers dishonor God because God is able to do so much more than we

can imagine. He empowers the reader to be a circle maker: to write those big prayers

out and draw circles around them until we see them come to pass. Why? Because God

wants to bless His people. The question is: are you willing to receive it? I believe one of

the ways we can best slow down to receive the Lord’s blessings is through the gift of

Sabbath and circle prayer.

My wife, Abbie, and I implemented this practice into our marriage. We prayed for free

rent, and God opened up a wonderful back house for us. We prayed for opportunities

for her in the field of psychology, and the Lord has empowered her with amazing

internships, published articles in the Journal of Positive Psychology, and many other

ways. We prayed for very specific and very vague requests, but we allowed God to be

God, and partnered with His grace and love that went ahead of us.

The beauty of circle prayer is that we are able to write down our prayers for future

things, but empowered to remain present until those things happen. We don’t try to

fast forward, we just simply push play, and open ourselves to the Lord’s leading as His

love illuminates our pathways. And the glorious reality is that when we just stay present

with the Lord, the end goal may end up changing, but it’s because the journey has

produced character in us along the way.

I would encourage you this week, beloved, to implement a practice of circle prayer into

your lifestyle. Make a dream jar where you can write down and place your dreams into,

trusting God for them. Make a calendar, fill up your journal, read all the breakthrough

stories of Scripture and the Church, etc. Just open your heart to be present, trusting

that God will lead you into the future through the power of His love.

Sabbath, please Sabbath. Not because you have to, but because you get to. Because

the model you set now, is the example your children’s children will see growing up. And

that’s a bright future to look ahead to. The good news: we don’t have to fast forward to

get there. We can simply be present, push play, and live from the victory and

goodness of the One who holds all things together - including the future - and partner

with Him as we see great things ahead unfold.

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How to Practice Circle Prayer:

• Set aside time for prayer. Bring your Bible, your journal or paper, a writing

utensil, and an expectant heart.

• The first step in Circle Prayer is to make yourself aware of God’s presence.

Invite His leadership. Welcome the Holy Spirit. Ask for wisdom and revelation.

• As you are aware of God, begin to think of places in your life in which you need

drastic and incredible things to take place. This can be your housing, your

relationships, jobs, etc. As mentioned, my wife and I prayed for free rent—it

can be something like this. Once these items come to mind, begin to write

them down. Give space between items for more prayer & writing though.

• For each item, begin to dream bigger with God. Ask the Lord how you can

dream bigger about these things. Ask Him how you might partner with the

immeasurable goodness of His heart. Ask God about His intention toward you

and the others involved with these topics.

• For each item, circle the word, sentence, or phrase, and declare that you are

trusting God as Provider, and that you are standing firm on the foundation of

His loving and faithful promises.

• Once you have a list of dreams on your paper, be bold and continue to declare

God’s goodness. Pray big. Dream bigger. Post this paper somewhere you will

see it often. Remind yourself of God’s goodness. Continue to stay steadfast in

hope.

• Come back to these items as often as you can, seeing when, where, how, why,

and what God did in bringing these things about. God is faithful, and He is with

you in the waiting, and He is before you in what is next. The good news is that

He is present.

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Questions for Prayer and Reflection:

• What are some areas in your life that you try to fast forward past?

___________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

How can you remain present in these places? _______________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

• How can Sabbath help you with being present, yet still looking forward? _____

__________________________________________________________________________

• How can Sabbath help you in remembering the past, but not living there?

__________________________________________________________________________

• In what ways can you declare God’s promises into your present and your future?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

• When you feel anxious, stressed, or doubtful, how can we align ourselves with

the truth of who God is and will be? _______________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

• What are the big things you are seeking God’s heart for through circle prayer?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

• How has He come through in the past and how did He surpass your

expectations? ____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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How Healthy Is Your Practice of Sabbath Delight?

Use the list of statements that follow to do a brief assessment of your practice of

Sabbath. Next to each statement, write down the number that best describes your

response.

Use the following scale:

5 = Always true of me

4 = Frequently true of me

3 = Occasionally true of me

2 = Rarely true of me

1 = Never true of me

____ 1. I regularly practice Sabbath by setting aside a twenty-four-hour period in which

I stop my work and rest.

____ 2. Sabbath provides a healthy boundary and limit around my paid and unpaid

work.

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____ 3. I take time on my weekly Sabbath to delight in God’s innumerable gifts (e.g.,

people, beauty, hobbies, mountains, food, music, etc.).

____ 4. I view Sabbath as a day to practice eternity and taste the ultimate Sabbath rest

when I will see Jesus face-to-face.

____ 5. I practice Sabbath as a prophetic, countercultural act that resists the culture’s

value that defines me by what I do rather than who I am (i.e., God’s beloved son/

daughter).

____ 6. I am comfortable letting go of my responsibilities on Sabbath, fully trusting God

to run the world and build his kingdom without me.

____ 7. I find my identity primarily in God’s love rather than in my work or my role as a

leader.

____ 8. I often receive unexpected insights and discernment during Sabbath.

____ 9. I apply my Sabbath guidelines of stop, rest, delight, and contemplate to

extended vacations and holidays.

____ 10. I intentionally prepare and plan for Sabbath so that I have the time and space

to focus on God’s love coming to me through the many gifts from his hand.

Take a moment to briefly review your responses. What stands out most to you?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Scazzero, Peter (2015-06-30). The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will

Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World (pp. 149-150). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

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Understanding Your Sabbath Assessment:

Here are some observations to help you reflect on your responses.

If you scored mostly ones and twos, you probably are working more than God intends,

perhaps without even a consistent day off. Your body, mind, and spirit were built for a

rhythm of work and Sabbath, which is something you desperately need. I encourage

you to carefully ponder the Scriptures cited around Sabbath and to prayerfully consider

their implications for your leadership, your personal life, and your team. You may want

to begin with a 12-hour Sabbath and expand from there.

If you scored mostly twos and threes, you have likely begun the journey toward a

healthy leadership rhythm of balancing work and Sabbath. You have the ability to let go

and set boundaries around work, understand your identity is not built on your work, and

enjoy God’s gifts. With this foundation, you have what you need to experience a rich

and powerful Sabbath that will inform the other six days of the week. I encourage you

to think through — theologically and practically — the nature of Sabbath. You may also

want to talk with a friend or use a journal to explore the roots of any obstacles or

resistance you feel to practicing Sabbath.

If you scored mostly fours and fives, you are wonderfully positioned to deepen your

experience and enjoyment of the riches God offers in Sabbath. You are ready to more

clearly articulate the theological underpinnings and the practical nuances around

Sabbath to those who serve with you — and perhaps to a larger group as well. I

encourage you to invest the necessary time and energy to equip yourself more fully so

you can break new ground in helping others practice Sabbath delight as a core spiritual

formation discipline.

Scazzero, Peter (2015-06-30). The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will

Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World (p. 172). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

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Additional Resources for Reading and Research

OVERVIEW

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

The Spirit of Discipline by Dallas Willard

Soul Keeping by John Ortberg

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Day by Day by Pete Scazzero

Spiritual Traditions for the Contemporary Church by Robin Maas & Gabriel O’Donnell

Here and Now by Henri Nouwen

Reaching Out by Henri Nouwen

Silent God: Finding Him When You Can’t Hear His Voice by Joseph Bentz

Working the Angles: the Shape of Pastoral Integrity (chapter 3) by Eugene Peterson

SILENCE The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen

PRAYER Prayer for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

SABBATH Sabbath Keeping by Lynne M. Baab

http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/tools/sabbath-resources/

http://thesabbathexperiment.blogspot.com/

FROM SABBATH TO LORD’S DAY: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation

edited by D. A. Carson

On the first day of the week: God, the Christian and the Sabbath by Iain D Campbell

GOD’S APPOINTED TIMES: A Practical Guide For Understanding and Celebrating The

Biblical Holy Days by Barney Kasdan

Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Fasting by Marva J.

Dawn

The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man by Abraham Heschel

24/6: A prescription for a healthier, happier life by Matthew Sleeth

Sabbath as resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann

The Sabbath Experiment: Spiritual Formation for living in a Non-stop World by Rob

Muthiah

Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller

LECTIO DIVINA https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/scripture-engagement/lectio-divina/resources

http://www.soulshepherding.org/2012/07/lectio-divina-guides/

Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God by Dallas Willard

PRAYER OF EXAMEN http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen

https://godinallthings.com/prayer/morning-examen/

https://godinallthings.com/prayer/evening-examen/

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