Saturday: Sabbath Rest & Play
September 27
- Scripture: Psalm 127:2 — “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
- Reflection: Consider the fullness of the Sabbath. It involves 24 hours. It includes morning, day, afternoon, evening and night. The Sabbath isn’t just an hour set aside for a worship service. It’s a whole rotation of the planet: light and dark, sun and stars, an entire day and night.
We often forget to make the night part of our Sabbath, unless we participate in the structured observances of a whole Sabbath routine, as in some forms of Judaism. Balancing exercise, nutritious eating, and healthy fun leads to equilibrium. Getting some ZZZ’s is another facet of routines that support wellbeing. When we unwind and relax, sleep comes more naturally and becomes part of the day’s respite.
Even the scriptures address forms of rest as part of the Sabbath, and how they must be part of the rhythm of our life. Psalm 127 relates loss of sleep with anxiety over areas of our lives which we cannot change by stressing and worrying. What follows are some tips to reduce worry (full article):- Write them down: Sometimes just getting things out of your head and down onto paper or a notes app on your phone can help you clear your mind …
- Set aside ‘worry time’ … it can help to try to manage this by setting yourself some “worry time” – a short period, say 10 or 15 minutes, every day or so before bed to write things down and try to find solutions. Making this a regular thing can help put your mind at ease and stop your thoughts racing …
- Do not dwell during the day: Once we have a regular worry time, this can help prevent us from getting lost in our worries during the rest of the day. So when a worry does enter your mind, think “I’ll set that aside for my worry time.” …
- Use the ‘worry tree’ … a structured technique called the “worry tree” can help keep you focused on understanding the difference between problems you can solve and hypothetical worries that are beyond your control. It can also help you decide what you can act on immediately or whether something needs to be scheduled and acted on later.
- Make a plan – and carry it out … ask yourself: “Is there anything practical I can do about it?” For worries you can do something about, write down a plan of action. Try to make this as specific as possible. Answering these questions might help: What would you do? How could you do it? When would you do it? If you have identified anything it would be possible to do right now, make sure you do it. If the worry returns, you can then remind yourself you have already taken action and try to shift your focus. If there’s nothing you can do for the moment, schedule a time for when you can and will. Then if the worry bubbles back up, remind yourself you have a plan in place, and try to switch your attention to something else.
- Accept the worries you cannot control and move on … Worrying is part of life. We cannot eliminate it completely or control everything … try to acknowledge and accept this.
- Focus on the present … it’s really useful to have some go-to strategies – like exercise, yoga, or breathing, mindfulness or meditation techniques – to help calm us down and bring us back to the present moment.
- Meanwhile, good sleep is absolutely a part of self-care and renewal for mind, body, and spirit. Some reminders about habits that help promote a restful night (full article from NIH):
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.
- Get some exercise every day. But not close to bedtime.
- Go outside. Try to get natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes every day.
- Avoid nicotine and caffeine. Both are stimulants that keep you awake. Caffeine can take 6–8 hours to wear off completely.
- Don’t take naps after mid-afternoon. And keep them short.
- Avoid alcohol and large meals before bedtime. Both can prevent deep, restorative sleep.
- Limit electronics before bed. Try reading a book, listening to soothing music, or another relaxing activity instead.
- Create a good sleeping environment. Keep the temperature cool if possible. Get rid of sound and light distractions. Make it dark. Silence your cell phone.
- Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again.
- Spiritual Practice: Make the whole 24 hours a Sabbath. Start the day by praying: notice the goodness and enjoyment that the world offers, in spite of these turbulent times. This spiritual practice of appreciation and praise, in the form of prayer, becomes another way to set aside worry, and to free up the mind and heart to play and rest. Dedicate the day to leisure and ‘go analog’ and unplugged, if possible. Put down work. Limit demands on your attention such as calls, texts, social media, or email, or other digital distractions. Skip the news. Give yourself permission to rest and enjoy creation. At the conclusion of the day, use similar healthy habits to cultivate restorative sleep as part of the night’s rhythms. Add another prayer to review the day, and once more frame it with gratitude, to prepare the mind and heart to slumber peacefully.
Song:
- The Sabbath Song by Laos in Harmony: https://youtu.be/bPhvBpHRxkU?si=VDquD-9JYpbZRo_5
… let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving; To rest at noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy; To return home at eventide with gratitude; And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips. — Khalil Gibran
Sept 27 Daily Devotional