rest
Living in Sabbath Simplicity
by keri wyatt kent
"Jesus came to earth to show us a way to live. He taught us how to pray, how to love, how to forgive - by doing it. And in this passage and others, he taught us how to spend time with friends, to enjoy gifts like a good meal and friendship. He modeled Sabbath rest." pg. 21
"The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath." Mark 2:23 pg. 22
"You've heard it said to keep the Sabbath holy, which you've done by avoiding certain tasks. But I say to you, 'Keep the Sabbath by engaging in relationships, by restoring people to community, to wholeness, by setting people free." pg. 24
"We live in a world that celebrates work and activity, ignores renewal and recovery, and fails to recognize that both are necessary for sustained high performance," write Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz pg. 33 "At the most practical level, our capacity to be fully engaged depends on our ability to periodically disengage."
Matthew 11:28 MSG
"come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" Mark 6:31
"In those moments of what I call "sacred selfishness," I let Jesus attend to my deepest needs: for quiet, for peace, for intimacy with him." pg. 36
"spend the day in life-giving pursuits" pg. 37
'life-giving criteria' pg. 38
"Because the work of the Hebrew was agrarian, productivity was accomplished during the hours of sunlight - 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m. the sun would set amid darkness would begin to descend. From that point on, the time would be devoted to relationships - time with the family, extended family and friends; sharing a meal; and a time of storytelling.... The basic structure of a normal day for the Hebrews went like this: twelve hours available for productivity and work (6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.); four hours available for relationships (6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.); and eight hours available for sleep (10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.)." pg. 45
"We need to rest on a daily basis, and even during our day, we need to take breaks to stop, breathe, and connect with God and the people around us. How can we practice Sabbath? We have to begin by learning to live at a sane pace each day." pg. 45
"Stretching herself strengthened her, but taking time to rest and reflect on the experience brought even deeper insights, nurturing new growth in her soul. It boosted her confidence and also her faith." pg. 47
"But a scarcity mindset never brings us closer to God's abundance." pg. 50
"In resting you experience the abundant grace of God, a lavish gift never earned, only received." pg. 50
"Solitude imbued with God's presence not only fills us; it softens us. It makes our hard shells permeable so we can give and receive love. 'When you discover your belovedness by God, you see belovedness of other people and call that forth. Solitude is where spiritual ministry begins." pg. 50
"Love is found in rest, in a time of simply being with God. And it's shared in community." pg. 51
Poet Rainer Maria Rilke writes, "Love... consists in this, that two solitudes protect and border and salute each other." pg. 51
