The Four Principles of Biblical Sabbath

Chaplain Wally Johnston (Ret.)

Founding Chaplain – Santa Monica, CA PoliceAbingdon, IL Police

Beaverton, OR PoliceCity of Sherwood, OR and Police Dept.

The major source for this presentation comes from chapter eight of Emotionally Healthy Spiritually by Peter Scazzero (Thomas Nelson: 2006)

Ever get lost in a blizzard?

Blizzards begin when we say yes to too many things!

God has offered us some “ropes” for us to survive the blizzards of life we experience as chaplains. Peter Scazzero refers to them as…”The Daily Office” and “The Four Principles of Biblical Sabbath.”

Biblical Sabbath

1. Stopping• Chaplains drive cars with only one

pedal…

• Sabbath is a day to hit the brakes

It takes a train with 150 cars going 50 mph, 8000 feet to stop (1.5 miles)

Chaplains travel at least 100 mph and carry more weight than can be measured. It takes forever to get them to stop!

Sabbath is a day to embrace my Sabbath is a day to embrace my limits (God is indispensable, you are limits (God is indispensable, you are not!)not!)

Pastor who didn’t take a day off. Pastor who didn’t take a day off. “Who is going take care of things if I “Who is going take care of things if I don’t?”don’t?”

Make stopping Make stopping youryour choice (Not choice (Not someone else or a bad health someone else or a bad health attack!).attack!).

2. Rest

•If God rested from His work shouldn’t we?

•Resting involves expressing our joy

•What do you do for fun? What replenishes you? (It could be napping, working out, walking, reading, watching a movie, going out for dinner, etc.).

•Plan your rest

•Prepare for your rest. Have a Sabbath prep day. Get needed stuff done before the day arrives.

Consider resting from:• Work• Physical exhaustion• Hurriedness• Multi-tasking• Competitiveness• Worry• Decision making• Errands• Talking• Technology

Resting shows our respect for the Image of God in us.

We don’t serve the Sabbath, the Sabbath serves us.

3. Delight• God delighted in His work…”It was very good.”(Genesis 2:1-4).•The Hebrew communicates a sense of joy, completeness, wonder, and play.•Our culture has distorted delight and pleasure so we become uncomfortable in receiving these. (Sex could lead to dancing!)•On Sabbath, we are to enjoy and delight in creation…slow down to do so.

• Delight in God’s greatest creation.Stop for unexpected conversations with neighbors, family, strangers.

• Delight in healthy play Greek for the perfect, mutual

indwelling of the Holy Spirit (perichoerisis) means “dancing around.”

4. Contemplate (to consider Contemplate (to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply about)thoroughly; think fully or deeply about)Ponder the Love of GodReflect on His attributes, character and names.*Meditate on the Word

The Daily Office• The purpose of the Daily Office is to remember and

focus on God.• Pausing in our busy day to acknowledge God’s

presence. • The Daily Office involves:

1. Stopping: one or more times during the day to be aware of the presence of God.

2. Focusing: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7. See also 46:10). Focus and resting in God. Breathe in God and exhale the sins and distractions. Silence: quiet every inner and outer voice to tune into God.

3. Silence: quiet every inner and outer voice to tune into God.

The Daily Office

4. Scripture: The Psalms in particular. Whatever helps you get into scripture—do it! Focus in on a passage, a sentence, or just a word.

“God is offering us a rope to keep us from getting lost. This rope

consistently leads us back home to him” (Scazzero, p. 154).