We invite you to schedule and plan for at least TWO SABBATH DAYS during the next several weeks as a way to begin cultivating this practice in your life. You may find it strange or weird and even difficult at first. “Wait…” you might be saying, “doing nothing is difficult?” Yes, actually. Yes. It. Is. But it is worth it. Besides, you’re not exactly doing nothing—you’re resting. And as little people with big heads, who think we keep the world running, stopping and actually resting (not merely checking out) can, at first, seem not only difficult, but impossible. Sabbath and trust go hand and hand: Sabbath becomes easier to the degree that you learn to trust God with the whole ‘running-the-world’ thing.

Though many will find that Sundays often work best, your sabbath does not have to be Sunday. The guides below are meant to help you plan and prepare for your sabbaths—around two important themes: Hope and Faith. Try for at least two, but of course, rinse, repeat, repurpose, and reuse as often as you want.