July and August often offer space to slow down. Ruth Hubbard, MDE’s Marketing Director, reflects on the role of Sabbath in her life. May her words encourage you to embrace God’s good rhythm of rest.
Growing up in the late ’60s as part of a conservative faith community, I had friends who weren’t allowed to read the Sunday comics until Monday. While my family’s observance of the Sabbath wasn’t as restrictive, we did intentionally set it aside for rest. It wasn’t always easy to fully experience this, though. While we made space for the day to be about the Lord and for rest, much of it felt more like a routine—just what people in the church did—rather than a deeply meaningful practice. Nonetheless, this imperfect but faithful introduction to Sabbath planted something in me that eventually bore fruit in my life.
God established a rhythm of work and rest in creation, later mandated through the law to Israel. As humans tend to do, we’ve made Sabbath either legalistic or trivial. We have missed the mark. God designed us to flourish through meaningful work and rest—both. We are most whole—most fulfilled—when our being aligns with our doing—and our not-doing.
Mark Buchanan, in The Rest of God, describes God’s invitation to Sabbath as an invitation to liturgy, not law. Embracing God’s design, he suggests, requires a change in our thinking (repentance) and behavior. For those of us in the marketplace, this has profound implications. Whether you are running a business, serving as a volunteer, or involved in community development, embracing a rhythm of rest is integral to sustaining the long-term work God calls us to.
It is in the practice of not striving, not accomplishing, not hustling, that we confirm the truth: our fruitfulness is a work of God, not our own effort. Releasing the need to get things done, and resting in the confidence that God is enough, realigns our hearts to the truth of who God is and who we are.
In American culture, long working hours and constant availability are often seen as signs of success, contributing to the normalization of overwork. Devices keep us over-connected. I’ve had people tell me it’s fine that, while on vacation, they spent a couple of hours daily on work-related matters, “just answering emails.”
Ruth Haley Barton, in Sacred Rhythms, reminds us, “We are teetering on the brink of dangerous exhaustion, and we cannot do anything else until we have gotten some rest…we can’t really engage [any spiritual disciplines] until solitude becomes a place of rest for us rather than another place for human striving and hard work.” Beyond being present with family and friends, we are designed for rhythms of rest. This rest is daily (sleep), weekly (Sabbath), and more. For those of us serving in mission-driven work, such as with MDE’s volunteers and client/members, the call to rest is not optional but essential for long-term effectiveness. A study by the Duke University Clergy Health Initiative, which examined 1,216 Methodist clergy, found that regular Sabbath-keeping was associated with a higher quality of life and spiritual well-being. Other studies show that regular breaks and time off (vacation) improve focus, creativity, and work performance.
While remote work and digital connectivity blur work-life boundaries, the right thing to do doesn’t change. Sabbath isn’t trendy, but it’s necessary for our well-being—both for us as individuals and for the work we do in our communities, businesses, and mission fields.
I’ve learned to embrace weekly Sabbath—not legalistically, but as a rhythm that works for me. Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen immediate benefits, both physically and mentally, with no loss of productivity. As my practice has become more consistent, it has deeply influenced my heart and mind. It has become an expression of my allegiance to Jesus and to God’s design for creation. It’s also a turning away from the world’s distractions, aligning with the rhythms God established for our flourishing.
EXPLORE SABBATH
- 🎥 Sabbath (BibleProject Video)
A 5-minute animated overview of the Sabbath theme across Scripture. - 📘 The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath — Mark Buchanan
A call to reclaim Sabbath as a practice for deep spiritual renewal. - 📘 Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again — Ruth Haley Barton
A guide to cultivating sustainable rhythms for leaders and everyday disciples alike. - 📘 Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest — Lynne M. Baab
Explores personal and communal Sabbath practice with practical ideas and theological grounding. - 📘 Sabbath Gospel: A New Narrative of Time, Rest, and the Work of the Church — G. P. Wagenfuhr & Amy J. Erickson
A theological rethinking of Sabbath in light of mission, justice, and identity.