Wednesday 11 November 2009

Sabbath rest

I just read a great book on parenting, Confident Parenting by Jim Burns. In one chapter he talks about how to "do" sabbath with your family. I found his 4 different categories of sabbath rest helpful. (Note: I've changed their titles so I can remember them more easily).
Physical restoration: Taking care of your body. Sleeping in, taking Nana naps, lounging around with the family... and for those who need to get more exercise to restore their body: taking walks, jogs, going for a swim.
Emotional restoration: Doing what gives you emotional energy. For me this means hanging out with good friends. For others it might be doing something by yourself - like taking a candlelit bath.
Spiritual restoration: Doing things which restore your soul and give you spiritual strength. Reading the bible, taking a prayer walk or prayer hour, listening to and singing worship songs, listening to a talk, doing devotions with the family. These can be done individually and as a family.
Relational restoration: Spending time together playing as a family. Doing fun things together which create memories, encourage bonding, reduces tension, and affirms each member of the family. Playing board games, going on fun outings, sharing a special meal, doing whatever makes you laugh together and have fun.

I found these categories very helpful because I often tend to concentrate on one or two of these types of sabbath, when we all need them all in some measure. He also isn't legalistic about setting aside one whole day for sabbath, but he does encourage scheduling regular times in the week or month or year to do these activites so they are prioritised by the whole family.

No comments: