The Art of Resting: How to Sabbath Well | Part Two

The need to rest is a big feature of contemporary life. In the midst of these changing times, many people have been returning to the wisdom of the Sabbath, and learning to lean in to this ancient, delight-filled practice of God’s people.

Here at Venn, Sabbath-keeping is something we’ve been embracing. We’ve been learning about the Sabbath personally, and thinking and writing about what good Sabbath practice looks like. You can find some of this work in our new book How to Sabbath Well: Learning God’s Rhythms of Rest.

In the first episode of this two-part series on the Sabbath, Sam and John unpacked how the Sabbath is a practice of freedom for life with God. Here in Part Two, they get into the practical nitty-gritty. What does Sabbath-keeping actually look like? How firm is the command to rest? What about shift-work, or life with small children? How important is gathering for worship? Sam and John explore all these questions, talking about four key Sabbath postures: ceasing, resting, embracing, and feasting.

Perhaps you’ve tried a Sabbath, and found it all a bit hard. Perhaps you’re keen to sabbath, but don’t know where to begin. Either way, this is a rich, genuinely helpful conversation.

Welcome to Venn Presents, a series of conversations on the depth and richness of the Christian tradition, as we attempt to outwork it in our 21st century lives. Through this collection, host Sam Bloore and members of the Venn Foundation team will present aspects of their work and reflection, as well as that of the wider Venn community.

Each short series will run across two or three episodes and the topics will be wide-ranging: from exploring Christian faith or doctrine; to engagement with wider culture, like business, the arts, education, music, and sport; and even discussing features of community and family life.
Our hope is these conversations will, in some small way, help us all to re-imagine how the Master’s Gospel might sound in the communities and callings we find ourselves in today.

For more on Venn Foundation's work and resources, go to www.venn.org.nz.

• No. of episodes: 16
• Latest episode: 2023-06-30
• Religion & Spirituality Christianity

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