He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. —Mark 6:31

Out of Alignment

When our priorities, values, and schedules are out of alignment, things begin to

.

Many of us are running so fast that we don’t even have

to ask whether our lives are aligned.

We live in a society that makes it hard to slow down, but busyness is still a

.

Striving not to miss anything is a surefire way to miss the most

things.

“It has been said that the real problem in prayer is not the absence of God but the absence of us. It’s not that God isn’t there; it’s (nine times out of ten) that we are not. We are all over the place, entertaining memories, fantasies, anxieties. God is simply there in unending patience, saying to us, ‘So when are you actually going to arrive? When are you going to sit and listen, to stop roaming about, and be present?’” —Rowan Williams

Jesus: A Life Aligned (John 10:10)

Not only does Jesus teach us how to live abundantly, he also

abundant living.

Our goal is to live as disciples or

of Jesus.

“To follow Jesus is to become his apprentice. It’s to organize your entire life around three driving goals: 1. Be with Jesus. 2. Become like him. 3. Do as he did.” —John Mark Comer

Jesus frequently withdrew, prayed, and

. (Mark 1:32-33, 35-37; Luke 5:15-16, Matthew 8:23-24)

Lent is the 40-day season (not including Sundays) of self-examination, fasting, and recommitment leading up to

. (Luke 4:1-2)

During Lent, we ask where our lives are out of alignment with the way of Jesus, and we begin to

them.

One way of realigning is to engage in the

that Jesus practiced.

“Jesus’ life rhythms, or the details of his lifestyle, have come to be called the ‘spiritual disciplines’…Whatever you call them, these habits, practices, or spiritual disciplines are how we follow Jesus.” —John Mark Comer

As we practice the way of Jesus, we open ourselves to God’s transforming

.

“What I can do is create the conditions in which spiritual transformation can take place, by developing and maintaining a rhythm of spiritual practices that keep me open and available to God.” —Ruth Haley Barton

The Practice of Sabbath

Sabbath is a

habit that can open us to a different way of living.

Sabbath was written into the fabric of

. (Genesis 2:1-3)

Sabbath was written into the fabric of the

in which Jesus lived. (Luke 23:54-56)

To busy modern people, sabbath can feel like an imposition, an

, an inconvenience.

Sabbath is much more than simply

, though it is not less than that.

Sabbath is a day of

. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

The Hebrew word shabbat can mean both “to stop” and “to

.”

Sabbath is a day to stop, rest, delight, and

.

If you are too busy to give God

day, how will you make room for God to transform the other six?

“People who keep Sabbath live all seven days differently.” —Walter Brueggemann

Questions for practicing sabbath from Ruth Haley Barton:

• What activities will I
  Reveal Answer
  to engage in so that it is truly a day of rest, worship and delight?
• What activities bring me
  Reveal Answer
  , and how will I incorporate them?
• Put the date on your calendar and
  Reveal Answer
  that God will help you to honor this sabbath and keep it holy.

Action Steps

Choose to start Lent by worshipping with your community on Ash Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

Make a plan today to take a sabbath in the next seven days.

My additional notes:

.