What Is Sabbath in Six?
Sabbath is a special day God set aside for people. A day to rest. A day to
worship him. A day to play. A day to stop all of the good work we do so we
can enjoy all the good work God has done.
Stop and enjoy. That’s the Sabbath concept in a nutshell. Simple. Easy.
(Well, not exactly easy. If it were easy, we’d all be doing it. And ... we’re not.)
So we’ve decided to help you out with Sabbath in Six. Give us six minutes, and we’ll help you kickstart your Sabbath.
Trust me, you’re going to love this. Here’s what you do:
1. Stop ...
- Get your whole household together.
- Everyone chooses a “work item”—either something you use for work or something that represents your work. A computer, a phone, a notebook, your keys. Get creative.
- Put your work item away. It can go in a closet, in a drawer, in a box. Just make sure it’s out of sight.
Side note: For many of you grown-ups, the most obvious item you’ll want to put in the box is your phone. But we know the prospect of going 24 hours without your phone can be terrifying. Don’t fret. Start small—say, two hours. Don’t get hung up on what you can’t do. Pick something you can.
2. ... and Enjoy
Sabbath isn’t just about stopping. It’s about celebrating. And we find the best way to do that is to read, pray, and play. For this Sabbath in Six we put all the steps right here.
A. Read
Choose someone to read this passage out loud:
“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
–Psalm 16:11, ESV
B. Pray
Choose someone else to read this short prayer out loud:
“God, we thank you for this Sabbath day.
Help us to stop and enjoy what you’ve made.”
C. Play: Jump in the leaves.
God’s creation—and this includes the relationships he gives us—is worth enjoying as a celebration of God. When we intentionally enjoy what God made, we are finding our joy in him.
There are 1,000 fun things you can do to play on your Sabbath. We’ve just picked one (though we think it’s a great one). To be clear, this is the end of the six minutes, because once you start jumping in the leaves, you might just want to stay and play outside for hours. We wanted to honor your time, but we said six minutes to kickstart your Sabbath. From here you just enjoy. Enjoy God and all the good things he has made—the leaves, the season, the people you're with.
This isn't about yard work. Don't be tempted to make this about raking the yard clean! Rake only enough to make your leaf pile. Or rake a day ahead of time if need be. This is about stopping your work and enjoying God and each other. Not finding time to do more work.
The rules:
Take your allergy medicine, as needed.
Adequately determine how much cushioning you will need from your leaf pile before jumping. (Do not sue us
if you find yourself injured.)
Everyone gets a turn to jump! Even the dog, if they want! And the neighbors across the street!
FAQs
How do you make a leaf pile?
- Grab a rake, or at least your own hands and feet, and find some leaves (doesn't have to be at your house). Move the leaves into as large of a pile as possible given the tools available to you. (If that's your hands and feet, best of luck. We believe in you.)
What if I don't have a yard, or leaves to rake?
- Offer to rake a neighbor's yard. Head to a local park. Get creative and enjoy the hunt!
Does pine straw work?
- Not well. Or rather, not if you don't want to be visiting a chiropractor the next day.
What if I have allergies?
- Take your antihistamine then get going. Wear a ski mask or a snorkel if you must.
Can I opt out?
- Why would you open a guide such as this, and then ask such a question? You're committed now, buddy. (And maybe consider celebrating National 'Loosen Up, Lighten Up' Day on November 14.
Does this mean the kids have to do the yard work this week? And I get to rest?
- Not exactly. This is an all hands on deck time of fun. Not work. And not just for some. Fun for all means no one is stuck holding the rake all day. The goal here is about stopping and enjoying on the weekend. Not clearing the ground.
Is there a limit to how many times I can jump?
- That's for you to determine! As long as everyone has their turn, we won't hold you back. Jump for hours! Days, even!
Can I make my leaf pile inside?
- No way. Whoever you live with does NOT want that mess in there.
But what about bugs and dirt?
- Hear us with kind, quirky uncle energy when we say, "It'll put hair on your back."
Can we make this a competition?
- Please do, in friendly fashion. Highest leaf displacement upon jump? Yes. Tallest pile? Please. Best jumping style? That too. Share your results with us, on Instagram @goodkind.co. We can't wait to see who has the most fun.