Sabbath and Rest
By The Reverend Connor Gwin
How often do we truly stop? Not just pause, but fully cease striving, worrying, and producing?
In conversations about faith, we often distinguish between orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice). The Episcopal/Anglican tradition emphasizes a lived faith – one that takes seriously the rhythms of worship, prayer, and rest. Sabbath is not just a theological concept but a way of life.
When did you first hear about Sabbath? Perhaps you were taught it was a day of strict rest or associated it with outdated laws. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Sabbath” now?
What is Sabbath?
Sabbath is deeply rooted in Scripture, from the creation narrative where God rests on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3) to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). Mariko Clark writes, “Once a week, we get a chance to be reminded of who we are: human beings. Not human doings or human havings. Just being.”
Historically, Sabbath laws – such as blue laws – shaped society, even influencing commerce, like Amazon’s Sunday deliveries. Yet, Tricia Hersey reminds us that rest is not merely personal; it is a justice-oriented practice, resisting capitalism’s relentless demand for productivity.
Walter Brueggemann describes Sabbath as a countercultural insistence that prioritizes neighborliness over anxious productivity. The Jewish tradition deeply embodies this whose Sabbath practices shape their communal and family life.
Why Sabbath?
Sabbath calls us to stop: stop working, worrying, and wanting. It invites delight. Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.” Sabbath is about resting, as Ronald Rolheiser puts it, “relaxing into the goodness of God.”
Dallas Willard once said that if he had to describe Jesus in one word, it would be “relaxed.” Sabbath reorders our priorities, reminding us that we are not God, and we can relax.
Practical Steps
Building a Sabbath practice requires intentionality. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, in Sabbath in the Suburbs, describes her family’s experiment in holy time, using “Sabbath hacks” to reclaim unhurried wonder. Justin Whitmel Earley’s The Common Rule suggests small steps like scripture before phone in the morning, one hour daily without screens, or a 24-hour fast from something each week
Spiritual disciplines are easier in community. Consider practicing Sabbath with others. And remember, Sabbath is not about perfection but about making space for renewal.
I encourage you to watch this clergy class, “The Practices of Faith: Sabbath Rest”, when I joined The Reverend Elizabeth Walker in conversation about this essential practice.
O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.