Ways to Spend Your Sabbath

  • Here are the 12 traditional activities that mark Sabbath practice: Lighting the candles, Blessing the children, Eating a meal, Singing, Worshipping with your Community, Walking, Napping, Delighting in your spouse, Reading, Spending time alone with God, Spending time with family and friends, Gratitude. (Please Note: This is not a “to do” list: there are no “to do”s on Sabbath! No "oughts" or "shoulds." This is just a list of activities many people find restful and restorative.)

  • Read Through this List of Sabbath Ideas/Activities Based on your Season of Life.

  • Practice Gratitude

    • In your time of prayer, spend some time journaling, specifically listing things for which you are grateful.

    • If you live with family or with friends, vocalize gratitude around the dinner table, listing the things, people, and moments in recent memory that you recognize as gifts from God.

    • Throughout the day, as you rest and delight, pause and thank God in the small beauty of ordinary things: laughter, a good meal, a touch from a spouse, a smile on your child’s face, a conversation with a good friend, a work of art.

  • Limit Technology

    • Decide on a window of time you will spend with your phone powered down and put away. This could be the full 24 hours of Sabbath or a few selected hours on that day. Whatever you decide, try to stick to it! (Note: nothing here is a permanent commitment, so we challenge you to try the full day!)

    • Decide on what you will and will not use your phone for on Sabbath. You might decide that you can text or call on your Sabbath, but that you will not scroll on social media, browse the web, or check email.

    • Delete the apps you waste a lot of your time on (e.g. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, News etc.). You can always re-download them after Sabbath!

    • Make any social plans for your Sabbath ahead of time so you don’t need to be on your phone the day of (e.g. schedule your call with a sibling, decide when and where you will have coffee with a friend, etc.).

    • Set limits on media. There’s nothing wrong with watching a movie or your favorite show on your Sabbath, but a binge is not likely to lead you into greater rest and worship. If you're prone to binging, set a limit for yourself (e.g. One movie, ______ episodes, etc.)

    • Explore Sabbath activities that don’t require a phone, internet, or a screen. If you’re prone to vegging on Netflix, try picking up a book. If your family bonds over movies, try a board game or a walk in the park.