I identify as a contemplative, a person whose life is devoted to deep thought and reflection, for two reasons: 1) because it’s simply my nature, I came into the world like this, and 2) because it puts me in community with thinkers I admire and religious movements that have transformed people’s relationship to God. Recently, I’ve been called to expand my repertoire of contemplative practices so contemplation continues to feel nourishing, not just like I’m sitting silently on timeout. I’ll be sharing the practices I love most here as I go.
Sabbath
A weekly 24 hours of basking in the goodness of all that is
The Practice
I was introduced to the Sabbath through being raised Seventh-Day Adventist, but it wasn't until adulthood that it truly became mine. Not something I followed because it was required, but something I chose because it felt good. I observe it from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown because that keeps me connected to my family and to a religious tradition that stretches all the way back to the biblical creation story. But I'm not here for a theological debate, and I support you doing Sabbath whenever you choose. The spirit of it matters more than the window.
Prepare. Create the conditions for your own ease.
Growing up, Friday afternoons meant chores. All the cleaning that had to happen before the fun (read: TV watching) came to a hard stop at sunset. Needless to say, not my favorite part of the week. Now I actually look forward to it. Changing the sheets, making sure there's food in the house, tidying my space. I want everything handled so that once Sabbath arrives, my brain doesn't have to think about a single logistical thing. And as the afternoon goes on, the anticipation builds. It feels like preparing for a beloved guest. Will I get everything done in time? What will this one bring? All I know is I’m tryna be ready when they get here.
Enter. Begin with something that signals this time is different.
A candle, a song, a prayer, a meal, maybe all of the above. Whatever adds texture and says: we're entering something special now. It's been said that the Sabbath arrives, you don't make it arrive. So when it comes, you step into it, and whatever hasn't been done can wait. I don't always get this perfectly and that's okay. It would be absurd to stress myself into rest. I trust the transition will get smoother as my practice deepens
Delight. For 24 hours, rest in the knowing that all is well.
This really is the whole thing. Sabbath isn’t only about rest or sleep. It’s about whatever makes you feel complete. Which, Lord knows, might be a good nap. But it might also be play, beauty, movement, stillness, community, solitude. Only you know. Tell yourself the truth. If you’re striving in any way, even subtly, that’s information. When you notice it, that’s your cue to stop and come back to ease. It’s Sabbath, you don’t gotta do nothing.
For me lately, that’s looked like a lot of writing. Same as I do during the week, but different. I don’t craft it into anything or shape it for anyone. It just is. The creativity still moves, I just stop trying to harvest it. That distinction makes all the difference.
Bless. Honor what was given and carry it with you.
Right now my closing ritual is simple: I blow out my candle and say a quick prayer of gratitude for the day. I'm still feeling into how else I want to mark the specific gift of each Sabbath, but I think the key is lingering in that energy instead of rushing straight into everything you “couldn't” do. How quickly you race back says something about whether you really dropped in. That rest, when you let it do its work, should leave you energized for the coming week and all you're about to create.
✨ More Inspiration + Resources✨
The Sabbath by Abraham Heschel: With this book, Heschel is widely credited with reintroducing the Sabbath to the modern American Jewish community, and honestly it feels like a must-read when diving into the practice. It's slightly repetitive, a bit dense, and light on specific practices, which I actually loved because I want to build my own. But what stayed with me is the reverence he has for this sacred time. He describes it as a taste of eternity and I felt that. I left thinking of time as my friend, not something to race against. Sabbath is what helps me remember that.
Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann: I tend to name what I'm for rather than what I'm against, but I appreciate that Brueggemann names exactly what Sabbath pushes back on: anxiety, coercion, exclusivism, multitasking. Things that just feel like the cost of admission to modern life. It's a good reminder that Sabbath can be a genuinely radical act if you let it.
Sabbath by Journey Films: What I love about this documentary is how wide it casts the net. Yes, it's about the weekly Sabbath, but it's also about how Sabbath shapes how you relate to the land, to your work, to the people around you. Sabbath as a posture, not just a day on the calendar. It gave me a lot of inspiration for building a Sabbath practice that weaves throughout my life.