Want to Connect with God? Start here…
In a recent podcast discussion with my friends at The Exile Project, I was thinking about my spiritual journey over the past 15 years. I’ve explored A LOT of different ways to connect with God. If you’re curious about Christ, seeking a more meaningful connection with God, or wanting to explore faith in a deeper way, I would start with this…
Build a rhythm of rest: the spiritual discipline of Sabbath (day of rest).
I’ve read a lot of books on this, practiced it in many different ways, led dozens of people through building their own. Here’s the template I would recommend:
This method was introduced to us by Pete Scezzaro: Stop, Rest, Delight, Contemplate.
Stop - What will help your mind rest? What activity or exercise will help your mind stop thinking about the to-do list, responsibilities, and obligations? What can you “get lost in” for a while? If you engage with a screen for this activity, I would recommend doing it outside your home. Do something new or fresh (new movie, retro arcade in your city, etc.)
Rest - What will help you physically rest? Maybe it’s a nap or reading a great book.
Delight - What activity will your body and mind delight in? Do something fun that fills your tank! What activities fill you with joy and peace? It could be hiking, playing basketball with friends, or going on a date. Whatever you delight in, take time to thank God for the opportunity to enjoy life, laugh, and have fun.
Contemplate - Find some silent time in solitude with God. Spend some time reflecting on the past and present. Spend some time dreaming about the future. Write down everything that God brings to mind here. Journaling is such an important part of the faith journey and rest experience.
To start, plan one day of rest in the near future. See how it goes. The more you do it, the more you can refine it to your personality and experience, what you find restorative. And then…
Don’t stop at one day of rest. I would recommend adding to it by planning ahead for deeper/longer intentional rest.
Try to plan a 2 or 3 day Sabbath and Soul Care Retreat. What might that look like for you?
Plan a vacation. Trips to visit family or friends probably don’t count. Plan a vacation that is restful and brings you and your travel companions rejuvenation. Build it around Stop, Rest, Delight, Contemplate.
Heads Up: Don’t be surprised if this is a shock to your senses, especially if you’ve never intentionally rested mentally and physically. Busyness and entertainment (our culture’s most popular methods of physical and mental engagement) are drugs. Enjoying a day of rest will be hard at first. Peace, epiphanies, fresh faith, realizations…they will follow. Just stay on the journey friends and lean in.
FYI: I’m brainstorming with a friend (Enneagram Coach and Spiritual Director) on building a Rhythm of Rest Zoom Experience where we will help you build your own and share ideas with other cohort members as you experiment with intentional rest. I’m hoping late 2024 or early 2025 so be on the lookout.