Session 3 • Sabbath • Activation
The climax of the creation account in Genesis is not the creation of humanity, as many may assume. Rather, the day of rest, Sabbath, is the climax, when all creation comes together in peace and harmony, and God declares everything He has made very good.
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2: 2-3
When God rested from the work of creation, he delighted in the goodness and beauty of all he had made. Sabbath is about delight, wonder and play; enjoying all the healthy, God-given pleasures of life.
In ‘The Artist’s Way,’ Julia Cameron encourages people to plan a weekly ‘artist date.’ This is time set aside to be alone and to intentionally seek out things that you find beautiful or playful, or that nourish your soul with inspiration. In many ways, we would all benefit from having time like this during our Sabbath.
to take great pleasure in
You might find it helpful to reflect on these questions:
to engage in activity for enjoyment rather than a serious or practical purpose (especially by children)
Some of us can find it difficult to allow ourselves to be playful, or childlike. Spend some time reflecting on the following prompts, and invite the Holy Spirit to awaken dormant desires in you. How might engaging in these things enable you to experience a fresh sense of delight?
Below is a non-exhaustive list of suggested ways to experience delight on your Sabbath.