Sabbath

Definition

Sabbath is stopping all expressions of work to delight in God and his blessings.

The ultimate outcome of sabbath is living my true self, in alignment with God. As Augustine of Hippo says, “our heart is restless until it rests in You.” Stopping gives me the margin to redirect my gaze toward Jesus as encouraged in #Hebrews/12/2.

The natural pace of life on earth is hurried, and I am not above my environment. Without sabbath, I am pulled into the rapid centripetal force of the world – fighting for limited provisions, accumulating wealth, and making a name for myself. But with sabbath, I can break free from this accelerating orbit and ground my pace in God’s rhythm.

My Sabbath Practice

Here is how I practice sabbath in my Rule of Life

• Observe sabbath on Sundays for the full day
• Do not do any work (both commercial and personal projects)
• Participate exclusively in life-giving activities – things that help me delight in the day’s blessings and have very little pressure to succeed.
• Share meals with people who I do not need expend extroverted energy with, such as family
• Pay down sleep debt
• Have sex
• Turn off my cellular device completely
• Don’t purchase anything (exception is food for shared meals)

A recent modification Stephanie and I have added is communal meals for sabbath dinners – think hot pot, spring rolls, or Korean bbq. Communal meals can be prepped the day before, so they minimize the amount of energy exerted on sabbath for cooking in exchange for more time to be with the people God has blessed us with. Additionally, communal meals are interactive and draw my full attention to the food and others at the table; they naturally discourage usage of cellular devices or isolation.

Sabbath Progression

I started practicing sabbath in 2021, after reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Prior to practicing sabbath, I was frequently sleep-deprived, oily-faced, perpetually looking up things on my phone, and envying everyone else’s lives.

Just like any spiritual discipline, sabbath is a practice that can be improved. I’ve had ups and downs – days of amazing rest and revelation and days of stressfully watching the NBA on a computer all day. God extends grace over my spiritual formation in both scenarios.

Sabbath is not magical; it is only a means of being with Jesus. Thus, a “perfect” sabbath is not the goal. Instead, a continuous practice of sabbath increases the exposure I have to God’s presence and awareness of myself and His blessings.

Anti-patterns

• Isolation: Sabbath is a communal activity not an expression of solitude.
• Lethargy: Stop to delight in the Lord, not just to stop
  • Just like recovery days in running, sabbath rest is not a waste of a day. Take care of my body – sleep well, eat well, and move. Endlessly watching content or doomscrolling on my phone all-day in bed is not practicing sabbath.
• Working on kingdom projects: All work is work. It doesn’t matter if its for commercial enterprise or for the Lord.
  • I used to work on a ministry non-profit on sabbaths because I thought this was how I could attribute the sabbath as a “holy” day. This tired me out, and I didn’t feel recharged and directed toward Jesus at the end of sabbath.

Sabbatical

A sabbatical is an extended sabbath period – a chapter of life that is set aside to practice sabbath over multiple weeks or months. It’s creating an Ebenezer moment where I abide in God, depend on him each day, and am fully grateful for his provisions in my life.

Sabbatical Log

• Death of Fable Sabbatical: 2025 Nov - 2025 Dec

Sources

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer, 2019

• The Confessions of St. Augustine, Augustine of Hippo