Practicing, not Perfecting Sabbath

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Sabbath
For the last several years I have written in my journal my desire to be more faithful in keeping the Sabbath.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

 

Exodus 20:8

 

I am a failure at keeping the Sabbath. 

I let my ever present to do list, my addiction to being online and my own ego driven desires rule that day. I focus my attention of the world instead of on God. Doesn’t honor the Lord much, does it?

Then fellow blogger and Christian sister, Shelly Millerwrote about her struggles with Sabbath keeping and began a great series – Surrendering to Sabbath – on her blog, Redemptions Beauty.
She even started a Surrendering to Sabbath Sisterhood for ongoing discussion and support.
Shelly is sending out weekly emails to encourage us to keep the Sabbath; you can read one here.
Shelly shared a wonderful quote by Margaret Feinberg:

With rest, I noticed God-moments I might have missed before. My prayers grew clearer. Studying the Scripture became more meaningful. When life was rushed, I felt like I was reading a cookbook backward – nothing connected or made sense. Now I felt more attuned to God’s voice in the Bible.

 

Sometimes you have to slow to a stop and reset before you can experience divine presence. My hunger to know God increased as I learned to develop a healthy rhythm in life and rediscovered the wonder of rest.

 

 ~Margaret Feinberg, Wonderstruck, Chapter 4-A Sanctuary in Time

 

I hunger for those God-moments I am missing. I want to hear God’s voice. I need to rediscover the wonder of rest.
I fail at Sabbath keeping. But Shelly’s weekly emails pick me up and stir that God thirst within me.

So I sit with Sabbath. What do I do with you, dear day of rest?

I decided I needed to define what kept me from Sabbath and it all boiled down to what I wrote at the beginning of this post: my focus on my busy, endless to do list and the amount of time I spend online with emails, commenting on other blogs and reading the Internet. My distractions determined my behavior and attitude on that day and to be honest, Sunday became to me a day just like every other day. Something had to change. This was God’s day, not mine.
My plan: to intentionally stay offline from Saturday evening through midday Sunday. I would ignore the shouts of bellowing and hollering from my noisy list of things crying for attention. I would focus more on God through contemplative prayer, in-depth readings and journaling.  I would pay more attention to my family, fully listening to them, instead of worrying about what else needed to be done.  I would BE, not DO.
The first week?  I failed. No, I failed completely. Even forgot I was going to try this new experiment.
The second week? Another F on my report card. It is hard to admit how addicted I am to being online; sometimes I even look at my Iphone in the middle of the night, reading USA Today and my email. How ridiculous is that.

This past weekend? I did a little better. And dare I say, I felt a deeper level of peace in my soul. I nibbled at Sabbath.  Mmmmm, I liked the taste of this refreshing sweet nourishment and will come back for more.
I practice Sabbath, but not perfectly. And I am okay with this slow step-by-step dipping my toe into this new habit progress.

“We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. 

 

One becomes in some area an athletic of God.”

 

 Martha Graham

 

Practice. Spiritual Practices. Practicing implies slow learning, making mistakes and trying again.
I am practicingSabbath, not perfecting it. I don’t want Sabbath keeping or really any of my time with God to be out of a sense of duty. I want to know God better because of love. Because of who He is.
Research shows practice does not make perfect. No one here on earth is perfect. Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice creates patterns. The more that you practice something, the more likely you are to do it that way again in the future.
 I am no longer failing at honoring the Sabbath; I am practicing keeping the Sabbath.

I am interesting in hearing how you keep the Sabbath. Let’s share some ideas.

 

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Comments

  1. blankJean Wise says

    Hi Jody, I have that book and will have to get it back out to reread. Adventure of joy – what a great line. I am turning off the technology here in about 15 minutes to begin my Sabbath. seems a little easier this week…

  2. blankJean Wise says

    Thank you for your well wishes. Yes it is one step at a time. I am winding down and ready to turn off the technology in just a few minutes and do find this week much easier than last week. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Sylvia!

  3. blankJody Collins says

    “Practice makes patterns.” That is perfect. I’ve been reading ‘God in the Yard’ by LL Barkat and taking the 12 weeks of stopping and stilling seriously. It has been such an adventure of joy…..

  4. blankJody Ohlsen Collins says

    “Practice makes patterns.” That is perfect. I’ve been reading ‘God in the Yard’ by LL Barkat and taking the 12 weeks of stopping and stilling seriously. It has been such an adventure of joy…..

    • blankJean Wise says

      Hi Jody, I have that book and will have to get it back out to reread. Adventure of joy – what a great line. I am turning off the technology here in about 15 minutes to begin my Sabbath. seems a little easier this week…

  5. blankSylvia R says

    BE rather than DO. Yes! And let go rather than strive. No matter how few baby steps we take, I know we’re all going to be blessed in this. After all, isn’t that what it’s meant to be: a blessing, a benefit, A GIFT? Because didn’t He say, “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man.”
    God bless your practice! And thank you for sharing, so beautiful and honest.

  6. blankSylv_R says

    BE rather than DO. Yes! And let go rather than strive. No matter how few baby steps we take, I know we’re all going to be blessed in this. After all, isn’t that what it’s meant to be: a blessing, a benefit, A GIFT? Because didn’t He say, “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man.”
    God bless your practice! And thank you for sharing, so beautiful and honest.

    • blankJean Wise says

      Thank you for your well wishes. Yes it is one step at a time. I am winding down and ready to turn off the technology in just a few minutes and do find this week much easier than last week. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Sylvia!

  7. blankJean Wise says

    You know me well enough Laura to know I struggle with doing instead of being. I think perhaps that is why I go on retreats. To find that center, that balance between the two. Thanks for stopping by!

  8. blankJean Wise says

    I see you have left two comments here sweet Dolly. I am so far behind this week. YIKES!
    anyway sorry you are having a hard week too and want you to know I pray for you every day and God loves you!

  9. blankJean Wise says

    I am learning, Courtney and have a long way to go. Glad you are signing up with Shelly’s project. I know it has encouraged me and I feel better knowing others struggle with keeping the Sabbath but are trying too. I like the put it in a drawer idea. I will try that. Thanks!

  10. blankOutnumberedMom says

    BE, not do. I love that. And I love the concept of practicing, with the emphasis off perfecting!

  11. blankOutnumberedMom says

    BE, not do. I love that. And I love the concept of practicing, with the emphasis off perfecting!

    • blankJean Wise says

      You know me well enough Laura to know I struggle with doing instead of being. I think perhaps that is why I go on retreats. To find that center, that balance between the two. Thanks for stopping by!

  12. blankCourtney Buxton says

    I so appreciate your candor here. And, I’m glad you mentioned Shelly’s project – I’m signing up! As for your online addiction, that sounds familiar. My darn phone is way too handy. There was a suggestion at a recent retreat to “put it in a drawer” for certain hours of the day. It will help release your mind from its grip, and (especially on the Sabbath) open you up to God. Rooting for you and working on this myself!

  13. blankCourtney Buxton says

    I so appreciate your candor here. And, I’m glad you mentioned Shelly’s project – I’m signing up! As for your online addiction, that sounds familiar. My darn phone is way too handy. There was a suggestion at a recent retreat to “put it in a drawer” for certain hours of the day. It will help release your mind from its grip, and (especially on the Sabbath) open you up to God. Rooting for you and working on this myself!

    • blankJean Wise says

      I am learning, Courtney and have a long way to go. Glad you are signing up with Shelly’s project. I know it has encouraged me and I feel better knowing others struggle with keeping the Sabbath but are trying too. I like the put it in a drawer idea. I will try that. Thanks!

  14. blanksoulstops says

    Loved how you said practice creates patterns, and doesn’t it take at least 21 days for a new habit to set…I appreciate you sharing your process, Jean…I try to not be on the Internet till Sunday evening…And I generally try to not do laundry on Sunday, but if the situation is dire, i will (wink)…I try not to be legalistic about it…Hugs to you 🙂

  15. blanksoulstops says

    Loved how you said practice creates patterns, and doesn’t it take at least 21 days for a new habit to set…I appreciate you sharing your process, Jean…I try to not be on the Internet till Sunday evening…And I generally try to not do laundry on Sunday, but if the situation is dire, i will (wink)…I try not to be legalistic about it…Hugs to you 🙂

    • blankJean Wise says

      I see you have left two comments here sweet Dolly. I am so far behind this week. YIKES!
      anyway sorry you are having a hard week too and want you to know I pray for you every day and God loves you!

  18. blankRebecca Watkins says

    Thank you so much for sharing your journey with honouring the Sabbath and am delighted you pop by Seasonal Celebration Wednesday! Rebecca @Natural Mothers Network x

  19. blankRebecca Watkins says

    Thank you so much for sharing your journey with honouring the Sabbath and am delighted you pop by Seasonal Celebration Wednesday! Rebecca @Natural Mothers Network x

  20. blankClella Camp says

    Oh Jean you do encourage me to do better at this. I don’t intentionally practice; however, I do try to stay away from internet until late evening on Sunday and most Sundays I spend some time in the afternoon studying, but my practice is very intermittent. Good thoughts here. Clella

  21. blankClella Camp says

    Oh Jean you do encourage me to do better at this. I don’t intentionally practice; however, I do try to stay away from internet until late evening on Sunday and most Sundays I spend some time in the afternoon studying, but my practice is very intermittent. Good thoughts here. Clella