{"product_id":"the-sabbath-practice-isbn-9780593603253","title":"The Sabbath Practice","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn our era of chronic exhaustion, learn how setting aside 24 hours to stop, rest, delight, and worship restores joy and spiritual vitality in this guide from \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author John Mark Comer and the team at Practicing the Way.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Companion Guide to the Sabbath Practice from Practicing the Way provides a practical, accessible approach to incorporating this life-giving rhythm into your weekly routine. Designed to be used with four engaging video sessions freely available online, this guide offers spiritual exercises, reflection questions, and additional resources to help you and your community experience Sabbath as the best part of your week.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis guide will help you:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Understand the biblical foundations of Sabbath\u003cbr\u003e• Learn to “stop” and align with a rhythm God built into the fabric of creation\u003cbr\u003e• Develop personal practices for meaningful rest, play, and communal celebration\u003cbr\u003e• Resist internal and external forces that war against Sabbath\u003cbr\u003e• Cultivate a spirit of worship that extends throughout your week\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscover how setting aside 24 hours can transform every day of your week, leading to a deeper connection with God, others, and your own soul.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart of a series of nine core practices that together build a Rule of Life for following Jesus in the modern world, each guide can be read individually or together in any order:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sabbath Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Prayer Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Fasting Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Solitude Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Generosity Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Scripture Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Community Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Service Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Witness Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJohn Mark Comer \u003c\/b\u003eis the founding pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, a teacher and writer with Practicing the Way, and the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of multiple books, including \u003ci\u003ePracticing the Way, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eLive No Lies\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePracticing the Way\u003c\/b\u003e is a nonprofit that creates spiritual formation resources for churches and small groups learning how to become apprentices of the Way of Jesus. We believe one of the greatest needs of our time is for people to discover how to become lifelong disciples of Jesus. To that end, we help people learn how to be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did through the practices and rhythms he and his earliest followers lived by.\u003cb\u003eWelcome\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWelcome to the Sabbath Practice. We are so happy to have you along for this four-session journey into what Jesus called “rest for your souls.” Few things are as desperately needed today as the recovery of the ancient practice of Sabbath–a full day every week set aside to stop, rest, delight, and worship. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing this Practice has the potential to be a before\/after moment in your spiritual journey, but it will not be easy. Sabbath is radical and countercultural; yet at the same time, its raw power to open us up to transformation cannot be overemphasized. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAre you ready? This Practice will be difficult, counterintuitive, and awkward to master, but it will also feel restful and deeply right. Over time it will help you become at ease in your own body. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs with all the Practices, we don’t sabbath because it’s good for us (though it is), but because we are apprentices of Jesus, our Rabbi and Lord. To follow after Jesus is to adopt his overall lifestyle as our own and arrange our daily lives around his presence and peace, or what the ancients called “following the Way.” And Jesus sabbathed. In fact, many Jesus stories in the Gospels take place on the Sabbath, especially the stories of healing and deliverance. One likely reason is that \u003ci\u003ethe Sabbath is a day for healing and freedom\u003c\/i\u003e. It’s a day where the kingdom to come has come and we get to enter a whole new dimension of time and space. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo as you give yourself to this Sabbath Practice, remember all of this is an attempt to give ourselves more deeply to Jesus himself and let him do what no Practice or teaching or book or podcast or technique can possibly do–give rest to our souls. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow to Use the Companion Guide\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLearn: Gather together as a community for an interactive experience of learning about the Way of Jesus through teaching, storytelling, and discussion. Bring your guide to the session and follow along.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePractice: On your own, before the next session, go and “put it into practice,” as Jesus himself said. We will provide weekly spiritual disciplines and spiritual exercises, as well as recommended resources to go deeper. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReflect: Reflection is key to spiritual formation. After your practice and before the next session, set aside 10–15 minutes to reflect on your experience. Reflection questions are included in this guide at the end of each session.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProcess together: When you come back together, begin by sharing your reflections with your group. This moment is crucial, because we need each other to process our lives before God and make sense of our stories. If you are meeting in a larger group, you will need to break into smaller subgroups for this conversation so everyone has a chance to share.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTips on Beginning a New Practice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s essential to remember that all of the Practices are a \u003ci\u003emeans to an end. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe end goal of Sabbath is not to say, “I practice Sabbath.” It’s to apprentice under Jesus to become a person who is marked by an inner spirit of restfulness and who is calm, at ease in their own body, unhurried, kind, and present. You will become aware of what God is doing around you, sincerely grateful, emotionally healthy, and delighted by the goodness of your life with God. You will be like a rock in a sea of chaos, unmoved by the overwork, overconsumption, and overactivity of our host culture. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause it’s so easy to lose sight of the end goal of a Practice, on the following pages you’ll find a few tips to keep in mind as you sabbath.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eStart small \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStart where you are, not where you “should” be. If a full 24 hours is too much, start with a half day; if that’s too much, start with a few hours. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThink subtraction, not addition \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlease do not “add” Sabbath into your already overbusy, overfull life. Think: \u003ci\u003eWhat can I cut out?\u003c\/i\u003e A weekend sports event? A house project? Weekend emails? Formation is about less, not more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou get out what you put in \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you merely dabble with this Practice or take shortcuts in order to do the bare minimum, you shouldn’t expect it to be particularly transformative. However, the more fully you give yourself to this Practice, the more life-changing it will be. This Practice leads to a fuller, deeper life only if you commit to it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRemember the J curve \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExperts on learning tell us that whenever we set out to master a new skill, it tends to follow a J-shaped curve; we tend to get worse before we get better. If you currently enjoy your Sunday routine or day off, don’t be surprised if your first few Sabbaths are awkward and difficult. Just stay with the Practice; you will come around. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThere is no formation without repetition \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpiritual formation is slow, deep, cumulative work that takes years, not weeks. The goal of this four-session experience is just to get you started on a journey of a lifetime. Upon completion of this Practice, you will have a map for the journey ahead and hopefully some possible companions for the Way. But what you do next is up to you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBefore You Begin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA note about the Reach Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe recognize that we’re all at different stages of discipleship and seasons of life. To that end, we’ve added a Reach Practice to each of the four sessions. In it you’ll find extra exercises designed for those of you who have both the desire and the capacity to maximize your Sabbath experience. Additionally, we have suggested weekly reading and podcast episodes to enhance all four sessions. Enjoy! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA note about the recommended reading\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReading a book alongside the Practice can greatly enhance your understanding and enjoyment of Sabbath. And on the Sabbath, we actually have time to read! You may love to read, or you may not. For that reason, it’s recommended but not required. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur companion book for the Sabbath Practice is\u003ci\u003e Sabbath \u003c\/i\u003eby Dr. Dan Allender, who is a psychologist, author, and founder of the Allender Center in Seattle, Washington.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Spiritual Health Reflection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne final note: Before you begin Session 01, please set aside 20–30 minutes and take the Spiritual Health Reflection. This is a self-assessment we developed in partnership with pastors and leading experts in spiritual formation. It’s designed to help you reflect on the health of your soul in order to better name Jesus’ invitations to you as you follow the Way. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can come back to the Spiritual Health Reflection as often as you’d like (we recommend one to two times a year) to chart your growth and continue to move forward on your spiritual journey.","brand":"WaterBrook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304311771365,"sku":"NP9780593603253","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593603253.jpg?v=1767741303","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-sabbath-practice-isbn-9780593603253","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}