Rhythms and Rest (Part 1)

There is a time for everything: a time to be silent and a time to speak, a season for every activity under the heavens – Ecclesiastes 3

The changing of the seasons harkens to something deep within us that longs for rhythms of rest and renewal. Our planet models this beautifully with times of vigorous growth, and also times of quiet. Anyone who understands a little bit about farming knows that you can’t keep farming a field indefinitely. Fallow fields make fertile fields. The wisdom of religious traditions passed down through generations includes rituals for important life events, and also weekly rituals for rest and renewal. 

Traditional rituals around childbirth (christening, baptism, circumcision, or brit milah), coming of age (bar and bat mitzvah, confirmation), partnerships (weddings) and death (funerals) all mark important chapters of life and times of transition from one phase to the next. Rituals around Advent and Easter, Ramadan and Yom Kippur offer times of reflection, repentance, and forgiveness. Rituals offer opportunities to gather with those we love and to celebrate life, yet they continue to adapt and morph as societies do. Most church communities don’t read the “banns of marriage,” anymore, yet we do still have a nod to that ritual  – “Does anyone have a reason why these two should not be joined together?” There is something about these traditional rituals that allow to hallow (make holy) the moments in life that come like the passing of the seasons.

Our rituals and rhythms reflect something about nature and our relationship to it.  They reflect something about human nature, as well. Sabbath is a word commonly used in many religious traditions, and the ritual is widely considered to be important. In traditional Jewish communities, Sabbath involves a full day of rest each week, typically from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. It’s interesting what we can learn from the followers of Jesus because they were often condemned for how they practiced the Sabbath. While Jesus’ followers observed the Sabbath, it wasn’t treated as a rigid habit, and what they did on the Sabbath depended upon the needs in front of them and the compassion that motivated their work. While Sabbath is a time for rest, it is also about centering our lives around our deepest beliefs and values. The best kinds of rituals help us to live in harmony with God, ourselves, others, and nature. Sabbath is not just for the self, although improved physical and mental functioning can be a byproduct. Sabbath was originally practiced in community with others, which allowed it to strengthen relationships, help the community grow spiritually, and cultivate gratitude (Dein & Loewenthal, 2013; Speedling, 2019).

One big problem with losing our connections to traditional rituals and rhythms is that we can become inharmonious with nature.  Theologian Dallas Willard wrote that “hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” Socially, it has become acceptable and even applauded in many spaces to be productive every hour of the day, be available every day of the week, be efficient, and be successful—that’s the messaging we get more often than not. The urgent compels us forward, full speed into a future where there is a temptation to internalize that we are only valued if we are productive. However, Hough et al. (2019) found that sabbath keeping was related to a higher quality of life and spiritual well-being, which is a reflection of Sabbath’s original intention—spiritual health. What would it mean to pay attention to natural rhythms and wisdom traditions in order to embrace rituals of rest and renewal?

These rituals slow us down, and often ask us to develop patience. In Season 1 of the With & For podcast Dr. Sarah Schnitker, discusses the importance of cultivating patience as a virtue.  In general, society discourages the pursuit of patience. Yet, Dr. Schnitker describes how patience is about long-suffering and is “a whole-life game.” If we live according to current pressures for instant gratification, it’s hard to live truly purposeful and connected lives. And this is not a new idea; Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that humanity must “adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” Sabbath provides an opportunity to practice waiting, trusting that the things we choose to stop doing will still be there when we return to them.

Dr Schnitker’s research sheds light on the Muslim ritual of fasting during Ramadan, a month set aside for spiritual reflection. Muslims are encouraged to use the time when they would be eating or drinking to reflect on their spiritual lives and practice acts of charity and kindness. Fasting requires developing patience to suffer well in exchange for something else that transcends the immediate gratification we get from eating a meal. 

Author Casper Ter Kuile in The Power of Ritual looks at the changing nature of ritual in our modern society.  He reimagines the banal by turning daily patterns into rituals of meaning.  He describes rituals involving intention, attention, and repetition.  As people are deconstructing traditional religious practices into components of meaning-making, it’s important to consider that the best traditional rituals provide space for curiosity and change and community. Rigidity doesn’t allow for the necessity of adaptability, and ultimately, any rituals we observe should be aligned with what matters most. 

A Sabbath Practice

In his classic book The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel writes “if you work with your mind, sabbath with your hands, and if you work with your hands, sabbath with your mind. 

Sabbath, like any ritual we do often and consistently takes practice and planning. In order to practice the Sabbath, we have to create space to slow down and this starts with the other 6 days of the week that we are working.

Let’s get practical: think about this…

1. What can you say no to during the week to create intentional time to pause each week?
2. Take time to reflect on the activities you do for work. What would it look like to adopt sabbath practices that allow your mind or your body to rest from its usual tasks?
3. If you are a parent with limited time, how can you create a rhythm of sabbath that your whole family can enjoy together?
4. What things in your life do you wish you had more time to savor? Reflect on what gets in the way of you savoring these moments.
5. What rituals do you look forward to in each season of the year? Reflect on why you think this is. Is it the people you are with, the environment you are in, the time of day, etc.
6. After taking time to reflect, think about the week ahead of you. Spend the next 30 minutes planning out your time to create space for margin. Rest requires that we reorient not only our free time but our working time as well. After you finish reflecting, we invite you to share your Sabbath plan with 1-2 people you are close to. If you’re comfortable, consider asking them to follow up with you at the end of the week to see how your Sabbath felt. Spend a few minutes praying for wisdom as you begin to reorient your time around the values and things that matter most to you.

Where to start?

Below are several books that can serve as resources to help you explore how you can start to implement a rhythm of rest & why it’s beneficial to your psychological and spiritual well being: 

1. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer 
2. 24/6: Prescription for  Healthier, Happier Life by Matthew Sleethe
3. The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose in an Age of Distraction By Justin Earley
4. Sacred Rhythms: Arranging our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton