The Road Devotional | Lent 2024

“The Sabbath command is especially relevant to contemporary life. How difficult it is for people in our achievement- and production-obsessed culture to rest. Keeping the Sabbath means trusting God to be God, recognizing that we are not indispensable. When we refuse to take a single day a week for genuine refreshment and rest, we try to outdo even God! In the light of God’s rest, our anxious, compulsive activities may be exposed as little more than efforts to stay in control, or to fabricate life’s meaning out of constant activity…. Rest and worship are expressions of deep trust.” -- Marjorie Thompson, Soul Feast

We are half way through Lent, and it’s a good time to take a sabbath day from the regular devotional.

Sabbath is a special time where we hit the pause button on life and we embrace a rhythm that is slower, more intentionally focused on connecting with God through good conversations, fun activities, and embracing the inner child. The point of Sabbath is to stop work for a 24 hour period to reconnect with God, others, and the self.

Ideas for Sabbath Keeping

• Light 2 candles to “observe” and “remember” the Sabbath. Then blow them out when your sabbath period is over. You can offer up a short prayer as you blow them out inviting God to ground you as you go about your normal rhythm. 
• Select a special song to sing/play regularly on the Sabbath. Music has a way of helping us relax, and it can also serve as a tool for deeper connection with God. 
• Try to minimize conversations that are work-related, and consider conversations that cause people to dream, imagine, laugh and be grateful. 
• Minimize the amount of background noise as well. Enjoy silence! Intentionally nurture a sense of self that is not grounded in productivity or accomplishments but in God’s gracious and unfailing love. 
• Encourage someone else in your community to do the same. This can include play, doing something that brings laughter, or expressing your artistic side.

For Families and Friends:

• Offer some time to share what each person is grateful for, and then to pray prayers of blessing on one another. This can be a short blessing (e.g. “Lord, bless X with a deep joy in You in the coming week.”) 
• Gather some board games or some toys that you can play together as a family, or to play with children. 
• You can also gather some art supplies to do a family coloring/craft project together. If the weather allows, consider spending time outdoors on a family/friends walk/hike/stroll. This can include going to the park or playground for some time. 
• Order out something special. Spend more intentional time in blessing the food (like what would be customary for a holiday meal).