Thanks for joining me as we talked about creating rhythms of rest in our lives! Below you’ll find a brief overview of what we talked about, along with links to the free downloads I mentioned! Have more questions? Email me at brittany@deeperkidmin.com.
Celestial Seasonings, a tea company based in Denver, CO, claims that every batch of tea is tested by their Blendmaster, who has 40 years of experience with Celestial Seasonings to ensure each batch matches the “gold standard” for that recipe. The Blendmaster is so in tune with tea, that he can blind taste test different teas, and tell what ingredients are in the tea and if the tea needs more of one ingredient. The Blendmaster has to slow down enough to be aware of and able to recognize the flavors and the aromas of the tea in order to do that job well.
As children’s ministry leaders, we have to slow down enough to be aware of and able to recognize the Holy Spirit moving in our lives and in our ministry.
Sabbath
- Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word shabbat, which means to cease, to stop, to rest.
- It is a commandment; it isn’t optional (Exodus 20:8-11).
- Sabbath is more than a day off from work; it is a gift from the Lord and an invitation to do the things that align our focus and our hearts on God and the blessings He has for us.
- Shabbat is a verb – it takes practice and work.
- God created us to need this rest. Our brains can only handle 4 intense hours of work each day. Creativity, deep thinking, and contemplation require rest.
- Rest allows us to take a step back and see the big picture.
Different Kinds of Rest
- Observing the Sabbath and resting doesn’t have to mean stillness.
- Physical Rest – can be passive (sleep) or active (yoga, stretching, etc.)
- Mental Rest – exercise, taking vacations, fully detaching mentally while on vacation
- Creative Rest – deep play, digital fasting, silence
- Emotional & Social Rest – solitude (physical and digital)
- Spiritual Rest – prayer, stillness, spiritual disciplines, reading your Bible, spending time in creation, etc.
Creating Rhythms of Rest
- Rest takes discipline.
- Start small by setting clear boundaries and increasing them over time when necessary.
- Be intentional by making consistent times of rest non-negotiable and planning ahead
Practical Action Step: Ultimately, we have to make rest and Sabbath a priority in our lives and in our ministries. Brainstorm ways right now to create a rhythm of rest daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Write down goals for each one and make a plan to implement those times of rest. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Daily: Ask: What’s one thing on my to-do list today that will refresh me? Set your phone to airplane mode for 1-2 hours a day to step away and spend time with family; take 10 minutes at the start, middle, and end of my day to meditate and pray
- Weekly: one full day without meetings; stay off your computer/email 1 day each week, etc.
- Monthly: one day a month for big picture planning; schedule comp days after big events
- Quarterly: Plan a weekend away or a staycation, even if it’s just for a couple of days; block out a day for prayer and solitude; miss 1 Sunday morning to allow others to lead and me to attend service, ec.
- Yearly: take a week-long vacation; recognize busy seasons and plan for time off after them (Easter, VBS, Christmas)
Free Download! Click the button below access my list of 25 ways to practice slowing and counter hurried living.
Resources for Going Deeper:
- Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann (book)
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (book)
- Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (book)
- From Sabbath to Sabbath by Thomas Lancaster (book)
- Shabbat from Jews for Jesus (webpage)