Sabbath Adventures

“Sabbath is not self-care. In fact, on the Sabbath, we are free from the weight of having to care for ourselves and abandon ourselves to God’s care.”

- Nate Stucky, Wrestling with Rest, pg. 119.

As I prepare to lead a retreat session on Sabbath practice, this sentence from Nate Stucky's book has stayed with me and has challenged me in my own practice of Sabbath. Since becoming a pastor, I have tried to take one day off a week, typically Fridays, as my Sabbath. Sometimes I write or work on my side-gigs. Sometimes I just watch TV or read. Sometimes I exercise. All of these practices feel like "self-care," and yet, I'm not necessarily rejuvenated.

This week, I've been asking myself: What would it look like if I gave myself over to God's care? I envisioned going out somewhere in nature to journal and read scripture.

So this week, I went to a nearby state park with my journal and Bible. I found a secluded picnic table and spent about an hour journaling and reading Scripture. Well, to be honest, most of the time I spent listening to cicadas, feeling the breeze refresh my skin, and absorbing the beauty of God's creation.

I found a trail in the woods and hiked along it. And all this time, I felt like I was drinking a deeply nourishing beverage. The hymn "How Great Thou Art" arose in my mind, along with Psalm 23:3: "He restores my soul."

John Wesley believed God wants to give us good things on the Sabbath: "A peace which the world cannot give; joy, that no man takes from you; rest from doubt and fear and sorrow of heart; and love, the beginning of heaven." (From "A Word to a Sabbath-Breaker.") When I returned from my Sabbath practice, I felt deeply refreshed. God had given me just what I needed.

And so each week, I want to consider God's invitation. How might I allow God to care for me on my Sabbath? Being in nature was just what I needed this week. But I imagine God might offer new invitations. I am excited to see what they are!