This post begins a series of posts about observing a sabbath.
In this series, we will not be talking about the Sabbath Day of Old Testament Law, which is a much larger, more technical subject, but rather, we will consider it as a general spiritual principle and practice.
As a spiritual principle or practice, a sabbath day can be very beneficial to your Christian journey. Indeed, many recent studies have supported this point. Observing a weekly day off can improve your spiritual (Hough, et al., 2018), relational (Diddams, Surdyk, & Daniels, 2004), psychological (Chandler, 2009), and physical well-being (Kanipe, 2016).
That is a lot of positive potential!
With so much on the line, this series will investigate the essential dimensions of a sabbath day that make it beneficial and biblical.
What are those dimensions?1
Tune in for the next few posts…
Footnotes
[1] I use an “R” scheme to make the dimensions memorable. The first two R’s, rest and remembrance, come directly from scripture (Exodus 20:11 and Deuteronomy 5:15, respectively). But I should note that the idea of using the R’s came from a conversation at church with T. Cook who used “Rest” and “Remembrance” as a quick summary of Sunday duties. I liked the alliteration and have since utilized the mnemonic device for ease of summary and added to the list as well.
References
Chandler, D. J. (2009). Pastoral burnout and the impact of personal spiritual renewal, rest-taking, and support system practices. Pastoral Psychology, 58(3), 273-287. doi:http://dx.doi.org.elibrary.johnsonu.edu/10.1007/s11089-008-0184-4
Diddams, M., Surdyk, L. K., & Daniels, D. (2004). Rediscovering Models of Sabbath Keeping: Implications for Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 32(1),
3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164710403200101
Hough, H., Proeschold-Bell, R., Liu, X., Weisner, C., Turner, E. L., & Yao, J. (2018).
Relationships between sabbath observance and mental, physical, and spiritual health in clergy. Pastoral Psychology, 1-23. doi:http://dx.doi.org.elibrary.johnsonu.edu/10.1007/s11089-018-0838-9
Kanipe, R. (2016). Clergy stress, complex trauma and sabbath practice: A study on sabbath
practice as healing process for clergy serving in stressful appointments (Order No. 10139052). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (1804425992). Retrieved from https://login.elibrary.johnsonu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.elibrary.johnsonu.edu/docview/1804425992?accountid=34777
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