| Welcome to the Sabbath Challenge! First off, we just want to thank you for choosing to say “yes” to this challenge and “no” to everything else in this moment. As we dive in, our prayer is that your “yes” is met with the fuel needed to take you all the way through to an oasis you can return to. Before we get too far, we want to invite you to pause and reflect. One of the gifts of Sabbath is that it slows us down long enough to notice what’s happening in our souls. This brief survey is an opportunity to take an honest look at where you’re starting and open space for God to meet you there. 👉 Take the survey |
| ⚓️ The three anchors When we decide to participate in Sabbath rest, we enter what Abraham Joshua Heschel describes as a “palace in time” where we can experience a restoration different than anything the world can provide. We’re going to flip the world’s logic of “busyness = importance” and “stopping = laziness” into “stopping = importance.” The most important principles we will consider in this mini-series are the three anchors of Sabbath rest: Creation: We return to the ideal form of creation order: God sits on the throne, and we acknowledge it is not our hands holding together the universe. Liberation: We remember the fact that our production doesn’t define our value or identity. God, our rescuer does! Restoration: We celebrate the work that God has done, and we allow Him to work in the stillness created through holy “stopping.” |
| 🌳 This week: The anchor of Creation This week, we will focus on the anchor of “Creation.” It’s hard to admit to God our need for Him. It’s a part of our nature to do what is good in our eyes. If we do not pause, especially when we are running ourselves beyond exhaustion, to the point of hurting ourselves and/or others, we have to ask: Do my actions demonstrate a lack of trust? In refusing to stop, am I telling God, “You can’t handle the world without me?” Stopping is the rhythm we participate in to return control and honor to the one who truly deserves it. Believe it or not, He can handle anything! |
| 🗓️ This week’s challenge: Mark the calendar This week’s challenge is to choose the 24-hour period you will commit to resting in God. Traditionally, this was done sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. But feel free to choose any day, or even piece together multiple shorter periods. In the following weeks, we will discuss ways to prepare for the day and ideas on how to spend that time within your context. But for now, put it on your calendar. It might be enjoyable to mark it with a big, red “X” to show your commitment! This is step one in returning to God’s way of creation, telling the world and ourselves through this moment, “No, you are not king,” so we can rest in the palace of time God has prepared for us. |
| 👶 A note for parents We know that Sabbath rest looks different in every season. Parenting, especially with young or special‑needs kids, can make stopping feel nearly impossible. That’s okay. God understands your season, and Sabbath is meant to be a gift, not another pressure. If it’s helpful, you might consider trying this challenge personally first, in small, realistic ways: moments of quiet, small pauses, or simple practices that fit around caring for your kids. Modeling rest gently is often more powerful than announcing it. If your family is ready to explore this together, make it playful and flexible. Ask them, “What would a day of resting and delighting in God look like for us?” Think of things that bring calm or joy at your kids’ age levels: getting outside, reading together, slowing the pace. You could even have them draw or name ideas they think represent “rest.” There’s no wrong way to begin. Start where your season allows, dream together, and choose something that’s life‑giving, not something that adds stress. |