Working to Rest
Eric Liddell was a Scottish runner known for refusing to run his preferred race in the Olympics because it was on a Sunday. He, instead, trained for a different race on a different day and broke a world record.[1] As a kid, I first heard of his story in the movie Chariots of Fire. His story inspired me to start my own journey of determining what it meant to personally “keep the Sabbath.” When we had to pick a recent leadership book to review, I immediately looked up one of my favorite Christian leaders and authors, Ruth Haley Barton. I was thrilled that she had published a book within the past five years. I was even more delighted by the title, Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again.
Like many of her other books, Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest bridges knowledge and theory to practical application. In the book’s first half, Barton addresses many facets of the concept of the Sabbath. She defines the Sabbath as “the biblical practice of a whole day set apart for rest, worship, and delight.”[2] In the second half of the book, Barton bridges the importance of a sabbatical. She recommends a sabbatical every seventh year for those leaders in full-time ministry when maintaining a weekly sabbath is not always enough.[3] Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest is a practical guidebook on the sabbath and sabbatical. Every chapter includes reflection questions. The book also includes several practical tools to put these into action. This rich resource affords many different levels that could be explored. I have chosen to look at a few themes that have been showing up in my Sabbath and leadership journey.
Freedom in Rest
Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest quotes Adele Calhoun, “If you aren’t resting, you are a slave to something.”[4] The Sabbath allows one to rest, regroup, and refocus on freedom from the everyday grind.[5] In Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Dr. Swenson reminds readers that Sabbath rest is a time to remember our freedom in Christ.[6] The Sabbath was given to the Israelites after they left Egypt as a sign of their freedom.[7] I always saw the Sabbath as rest, renewal, and rejuvenation. Seeing it also as resistance to the oppression of sin and everyday life brings freedom to say “no.” No to the things of the world, and yes to a day to focus on what I have been freed from.
Obstacles of Busyness
While visiting a mission team in another African country, I asked how the team found time for rest. The answer is, “Our team is made up of hard workers. We don’t really rest.” This is a common response that I get when I pose this question. Another popular response, especially with medical missionaries, is that there are too many needs around us to be able to take a full day off. In Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul, leaders are warned that “busyness will not only distract, it will infect” and can cause harm to our souls.[8] Barton addresses the need for balance, “Work is not better than rest nor is rest better than work; God did both, and the goodness is in the movement back and forth between the two.”[9] I have experienced this in my own life. Maintaining a Sabbath day has allowed me the courage, practice, and freedom to set healthy boundaries from work and busyness on the other six days of the week.
Connection of Community
Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest emphasized to me the importance of doing Sabbath with others in community. Throughout the book, a call is woven to leaders to prioritize the Sabbath for themselves and their community. Barton gives several practical steps for leaders to take in building a Sabbath-focused community.[10] Keeping a Sabbath day each week has become a precious part of my weekly routine that I cannot imagine living without. Ecclesiastes 4:12 talks about the strength of a cord with three strands. I believe this is a picture of how the Sabbath can be protected, enjoyed, and shared with others. This is an area of lack in my Sabbath practice and one I hope to take strides in changing.
There are countless lessons in both this book and in the practice of Sabbath. I will end with some questions I am asking from this exploration: What areas of my life hinder me from truly enjoying the freedom of the Sabbath? Where is busyness keeping me from enjoying the peace and rest God is offering me? What can I do to lead my community in the practice of the Sabbath? For those of you reading this, to what is God inviting you concerning the “rhythms of work and rest” in your own life?
[1] Bob LeFavi, “Eric Liddell Has Run His Race,” Effingham Herold (blog), May 25, 2015, https://www.effinghamherald.net/lifestyle/church/eric-liddell-has-run-his-race/.
[2] Ruth Haley Barton, Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again, 1st ed, Transforming Resources Series (Novato: InterVarsity Press, 2022), 11.
[3] Ibid, 152.
[4] Ibid, 27.
[5] Ibid, 28.
[6] Richard A. Swenson, Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Rev. ed (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004), 201.
[7] Barton, Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest, 28.
[8] Lance Witt, Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 62.
[9] Barton, Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest, 23.
[10] Ibid, 131-134.
About the Author
Kari
Kari is a passionate follower of Jesus. Her journey with Him currently has her living in the Sahara in North Africa. With over a decade of experience as a family nurse practitioner and living cross-culturally, she enjoys being a champion for others. She combines her cross-cultural experience, her health care profession, and her skills in coaching to encourage holistic health and growth. She desires to see each person she encounters walk in fullness of joy, fulfilling their God-designed purpose. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 ESV16 responses to “Working to Rest”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Yes Kari! You are speaking my language! Thanks for your reflection on this and the way you are faithfully and honestly living out the gift of Sabbath rest in your life and ministry. I also appreciate your questions at the end. As our life and responsibilities have increased this fall with an infant in our home and teenagers in high school, we are still working towards a family sabbath together. What does that look like? When can we practice it? How can we balance our own personal needs for rest as well as some family time together. I am hopeful this weekend we’ll have some time of blessed rest together. Thanks for the invitation!
Ryan, As I read this book, many times I wished I could have talked to you about some of the things– maybe in Cape Town! I was reminded at what a challenge it is to maintain Sabbath in one’s own unit/family and how much more challenging it is to do it in a church community. Thank you for your family’s example of prioritizing Sabbath! May you find rest, joy, and rejuvenation this weekend.
Kari,
I have previously read one of Barton’s books and enjoyed it. I enjoyed the quote “Work is not better than rest nor is rest better than work; God did both, and the goodness is in the movement back and forth between the two.” I never considered this this to be a balancing act between two good things.
You mentioned the need for a sabbatical for those in ministry who are not able to take a regular sabbath. My Brother-in-law had a 4–5-week sabbatical this past summer spread out over 2-3 months. He has been in full-time pastoral ministry for over 20 years, and this was his first sabbatical.
Living in a country with a predominantly Islamic population, do you see a sabbath rest being promoted? If so what does that look like? If not, do you see any negative consequences of sabbath rest not being promoted within the healthcare context?
Thanks for your in sight Jeff. I’m so glad your brother-in-law was able to take a sabbatical. If I could make one change in ministry, it would be to make a sabbatical mandatory for every person in full-time ministry every seven years. A wise counselor encouraged me to take one in 2020 (my 7th year on the field). It was truly an incredible, life-changing 3-months just prior to COVID.
Your questions were both something I considered writing about in my blog, so thanks for asking. The natural rhythms of the community include sabbath-like time, although it is not a deliberate practice. Friday, Jumu’ah, is the Muslim holy day. Jumu’ah literally means the gathering of people. In some Muslim countries the weekend is Friday and Saturday. This allows Friday to be an entire day for the mosque preachings and family gatherings. My country changed to a Western weekend (Saturday and Sunday). However, all businesses shut down at noon on Friday and the rest of the day is quiet. Generally families have a big meal together on Friday afternoon and spend that night and into the weekend visiting with one another. Essentially, we have a 3-day weekend.
In my country you do NOT want to have a medical emergency (ever, but especially) between Friday and Sunday. There is not an adequate on-call system even for emergencies. From a Western medical perspective, providers especially with higher degrees and specialities, are burning out. I’ve attended many trainings and conferences specifically for this. I think a big part of it is the “need” for 24/7 care without the emphasis on also taking time for Sabbath on those days off.
Hi Kari, Thanks for this insight on Sabbath. My husband and I were just talking about Sabbath last weekend and how it was practiced years ago and what it could look like today. Do you have a sense of what an ideal Sabbath looks like for you, or do you just let the day unfold?
Diane,
I remember my grandmother was very strict on not shopping or eating out on Sundays. It is such a different world now.
For me, an great part of Sabbath is just letting the day unfold. I do not like to plan too much on my Sabbath. However, in general, my ideal Sabbath starts with a slow, restful morning journaling, listening to music/podcasts, coffee, etc. The middle of the day is usually when I do something fun: go to the beach beach, cook or bake something for fun, etc. The last part of the day often includes people time– dinner with a friend, a game night, movie, etc.
Hi Kari, I loved your post! I struggle with practicing sabbath well so thank you for the encouragement to bump it up in my priority list. I felt conviction as I read your quote from Calhoun, “If you aren’t resting, you are a slave to something.” Ouch…but true.
I definitely feel that about work and family responsibilities and will be praying about how the Lord my lead me to greater freedom!
Thank you, Christy! I struggle to practice Sabbath when I am in the US; the society is not set up to rest. May God give you wisdom as you navigate this.
Kari,
It is so hard to take a sabbath as a family. We keep trying but it is really a challenge. It is also a challenge when everyone has work schedules that vary.
When we were in Kenya, I encouraged all of our teammates to take a vacation or even a work trip out of our area on the coast to Nairobi or elsewhere every three months. When anyone (ourselves included) would go longer than three months without getting out of the weight of the coast we would all start to suffer from it. Those teams (and I know some myself) that said they are too busy are not doing themselves or their teammates any favors by not taking a legit time to take a break.
Adam,
I find it much easier to observe Sabbath when I am overseas. US culture does not provide an easy way to do it in community or even individually!
There is really something about that 3-month mark! It was wise of you to encourage team to leave every three months. I try to do the same. I was more strict about the first half of my time here. Having a better Sabbath rhythm has helped with the time I stay in country 4 or 5 months.
Hey Kari, Are there specific obstacles that make it challenging for you to fully embrace the Sabbath, and what steps have helped you or might help you overcome them?
Hi Glyn, I have found it difficult to embrace the Sabbath in community whether in Africa or the US. Since reading this book, I have started talking about it more openly with my community here and hope to invite others to join me in this journey.
Hi Kari. Barton puts me on track to acknowledging rest which so escaped me in a previous season. Rest is not optional but mandatory and i am more intentional about work and sabbath. Her writing really impacted me to be more mindful and proactive.
Daren, I am encouraged by your comment! We need strong leaders like you that are modeling this to their community.
Hi Kari, I give you full credit for helping me embrace the benefits and beauty of the Sabbath. What are some of your Sabbath practices that rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit? Besides doing Sabbath in community, what other areas do you think we as a team can focus on concerning the Sabbath? I am open to suggestions!
Thanks, Elysse. It is time to get out your Shabbot candles! 😉 I think doing something like a Shabbat dinner would set that tone for the Sabbath and give others an invitation to join. Adding some intentional worship and prayer time in community could help bring depth to Sabbath. Personally, prayer journaling makes my Sabbath feel complete and successful. The other aspect is making myself say “no” to things that are work and just to produce–that continues to be a weekly struggle for me, but is worth it. It gives me space to do fun things like going to Chinese stores.