WEEK 2: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21
SILENCE, STILLNESS, AND CENTERING BEFORE GOD:
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take some deep breaths. Spend a few minutes in silence, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
READ:
Let your mind settle. Silently read the Scripture for this week: Mark 2.
ASK:
Read the Scripture again, this time aloud. Listen for a word, phrase, or section that grabs your attention. Write down any questions about the passage that you have. When you finish, close your eyes. Recall the word or phrase, taking it in and mulling it over. Write down what comes to mind.
REFLECT:
In Jesus’ day, the Roman Empire was ruling over Israel. Some people, like Levi, collected taxes from their Jewish sisters and brothers for the despised Romans. Tax collectors may have been hated as much, if not more than, the Romans. They were known as “sinners” because they were not strict adherents of the Jewish faith and because they did not follow the unspoken political and cultural standard of opposing Rome. What does it mean to you that, in spite of their reputations, Jesus ate meals with tax collectors and sinners?
Much of the Western world idolizes work. We work all week at our jobs and then work during the weekends to get our houses and lives together for the next week. For students, it’s easy to constantly do work, in and out of classes. Jesus observed Sabbath and modeled an approach to Sabbath that was even better than that of the religious leaders of His day. How can you practice a healthy rhythm of work and rest in this season of life?
PRAY:
Read Mark 2 one last time, stopping and listening for who Jesus is inviting you to become and what He is inviting you to do this week. Write down what comes to mind.
Talk with Jesus about it.
PRACTICE:
As a community, our practices for this week are Sabbath & prayer.
We want to be people who love Jesus deeply, and Sabbath is about just that — spending time with our Father who deeply loves us and is inviting us into a rhythm of work and rest.
Sabbath is a time to stop, rest, delight, and worship. We encourage you to find space in this week to do just that: stop from the busyness of life, rest with Jesus, delight in His goodness and creation, and worship Him. Pick a time this week, short or long, and enjoy Sabbath.
This week, pray and talk with God about Sabbath. Dialogue with the Holy Spirit about your posture and feelings towards this practice. Are you nervous, excited, confused, uncertain? God delights to talk with you. Sabbath is a means for connection with God.
Lastly, we encourage you to find time this week to meet with a friend, pastor, mentor, or someone you just think is awesome, and ask them about Sabbath. We are a community, and we process and grow best together.
Looking for a place to start? Use this Sabbath Starter Guide.