Stopping Busy

Theme and Practice: Sabbath/Rest

See Podcasts, Books, Questions, and Ideas Below…

This week we are talking about how Sabbath and Rest are absolutely critical to the Spiritual Life. We need to get this one right and we have had a long run of running. This Sunday is about Stopping Busy. A great reminder as we head into what can often be one of the busiest times of the year.

Sunday Worship Service at 10:00am

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Program / Order of Service

Read the program to follow along

Sabbath/Rest Resources

Podcasts

Books

Reflection Questions and Ideas

  1. What are three things you would do on an ideal day off? (Bonus: your answer can’t involve screens)

  2. Experiment with when you take a sabbath. Kate Rademacher describes how she struggled to keep sabbath on Sunday as it became a time for kids to do homework, and for her to begin getting ready for work on Monday. She settled into starting sabbath on Friday night and all day Saturday.

  3. Celebration and Ritual. On Friday evening Kate turns off her phone and covers her computer monitors with a blanket to ritualize the end of work. What might you do to signal to yourself that there is something special about the Sabbath day?

  4. Jewish tradition speaks of the Sabbath as a Queen. Imagine royalty visiting your house each week. Therefore, we dress up, we get ready. There is anticipation and excitement. The Sabbath is not just a day off, it is the queen of days, something to look forward to and be celebrated. How might you celebrate your day of rest as though it is like royalty visiting you?

  5. The Sabbath commandment in Exodus connects our day of rest to the rest that God took on the seventh day. What do we learn from God resting? How might this impact how we rest?

  6. Sabbath is a practice in trusting God. If we take a day off, the world will not fall apart. How might stopping busy in your life help you grow your trust in God?

  7. The Sabbath commandment in Deuteronomy connects our day of rest to remembering the time when God’s people were enslaved and were forced to work every day of the week. How might a sabbath practice help us not become enslaved to work or busyness? How mindful are we of those in our world who are receiving little to no rest because of systems of oppression? In what ways can we seek to change this?

  8. How might we cease contributing to a culture that prizes busy?

Practicalities for Practicing Sabbath

  1. What won’t you do? What counts as work? (Not just a day off from your job! Think about Housework, etc.)

  2. When will you keep Sabbath? Sunday? Friday sundown to Saturday sundown?

  3. How will you prepare / create anticipation? (Do you need to get certain chores done ahead of time? Do you need a ritual or a meal to start off? Turn off your phone, perhaps?)

  4. Where will you be? (At home, a certain room, outdoors, a park?)

  5. Who is with you and do you need to discuss your plan for sabbath ahead of time?

  6. Make observations over time. What are you appreciating? When is it hard to rest? When is it a joy? When is it a chore? What are you learning about God? What are you learning about yourself?

Children’s Ministry Videos

You can access Children’s Ministry Videos here on the Prairie YouTube Channel.

Prayer Requests

If you have prayer requests to be included in our prayers of intercession, please email Matt at matt@prairiechurch.ca

Our congregation is located in Winnipeg, which is on Treaty One Land, first entrusted by Creator God to the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, Nehethowuk nations, the homeland of the Red River Métis.