“A great benefit of Sabbath keeping
is that we learn to let God take care of us —
not by becoming passive and lazy,
but in the freedom of giving up
our feeble attempts to be God in our own lives”
— Marva Dawn, “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly”
Call to Worship
Adapted from Psalm 23
Lord, shepherd me today.
In You, I lack nothing.
Bring me to a place of deep rest and peace.
Restore my soul.
Meet me here at Your table
of goodness and mercy.
Amen.
Worship Songs
Rest, by Bluetree
Every Move I Make
Passing of the Peace
Send a text message to someone either from our Anchor & Hope community or someone who needs God’s peace this day (Your pastors would love to hear from you, so please feel free to drop them a text as well!)
Prayer of Illumination
Pour out Your Spirit upon us, O God,
like water that quenches a thirsty soul.
Reveal Your heart to us,
and lead us into the eternal kind of life, today.
Amen.
Kids Reflection
Reflect with your children:
- Who does Jesus love?
- How does it make you feel to know that Jesus cares for everyone, even those people others look down on or reject?
- How can we share Jesus’ love for people who feel like they don’t fit in or that they’re not good enough?
- Take a moment to say “thank You, Jesus” for His amazing love!
Scripture Engagement & Reflection
Read Exodus 20:8-11 (NLT) out loud, even if you’re alone!
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
It’s not a stretch to say that God, in eternal foresight and wisdom, knew that in 2023, we would live in a “grind culture” that upholds workaholism as a virtue and proving your worthiness through relentless productivity — and, that as a means of grace and mercy, would call us back to the ancient command to remember the Sabbath and practice it as a countercultural form of rest and resistance.
Tricia Hersey, founder of the Nap Ministry, says, “To seek rest is to be an outlier and will take tremendous effort and faith to push back and disrupt grind culture. I believe that, like prayer, rest and slowing down is a veil remover. Rest removes the veil by giving us the space and time to see what is really going on. For almost nine years I have been researching and experimenting with rest as a spiritual practice and have clung to this idea: Sleep allows you to wake up.”
- Do you find it easier to remember or forget the Sabbath? What’s underneath that?
- In what ways could being well-rested (in body, mind, and spirit) help you to “wake up” to God’s voice and the world around you?
- What practices of rest will remind you of who and Whose you are?
- Are there words of love and encouragement you can speak to and receive from those you’re with right now?
Winnie the Pooh often teaches us with deep insight. Take a moment to reflect on this quote, “Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.” How can quiet, uncluttered, unhurried time “doing nothing” lead to the very best of something in your life? How can “doing nothing” become a blessing in your life?
Worship Song
You Hold It All Together • by Maverick City Music
Closing Prayer
The Suscipe of Saint Ignatius
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding, and my entire will.
All I have and hold, You have bestowed upon me as untold gift.
To You, O Lord, I return it.
I surrender all to be governed wholly according to Your will.
Give me Your love and grace.
With these alone I shall be rich enough
and desire nothing more.
Amen.
Anchor & Hope Church 