Sabbath // A Spirit at Rest

Elaina Rosenquist joins the podcast to share her refreshing journey of embracing rest and the life-giving and biblical invitation to Sabbath. Through Shabbat, we are called out of the crushing pressure of striving and into a liberating exodus from tension. How can we cultivate rest, worship, and delight in our lives in this hectic side of eternity? 

About the Speaker
Elaina Rosenquist leads the Pittsburgh Church of Christ with her husband, James. They have two children Jack (5) and Anna (2) and a fish named Happy. Elaina loves exploring her beautiful city, drinking tea, doing yoga and working as a nurse which she gets to do twice a month at a hospital. She has an Instagram account where she posts some spiritual thoughts and lessons she is learning @plantedby_thewater. Follow her for more content! 

Episode Notes

A Check-In question to ask yourselves: What does my body need and what would be helpful to make the rest of the day go well?

Psalm 73:26

Psalm 46:10 NASB- “Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”

Rest in a biblical sense, requires surrender and humility. 

Matt 11:27-29 Jesus invites us to rest

Matthew 14:15-16 humility of Jesus 

When we are tired how often do we honor that request from our body to give it what it needs? 

"Remember everything you are doing, and then be gentle with yourself."

John 5:19-20

My working definition of sabbath: 

• time frame where we delight in God, creation, in Gods work and the work we have done
• it is a time frame where we do not work
• it’s not a date but an atmosphere
• it’s an “exodus from tension”
• it’s a gift from God to mankind
• it is refreshment
• a time of rest
• a time of celebration
• it’s having that living water John 4
• sabbath means I have enough and I am enough
• it’s a command from God in the Old Testament, it was practiced by Jesus (differently than how the religious teachers of the day practiced it)
• practiced by Jesus followers even after his death (the women waited till after sabbath over to tend to Jesus dead body)
• sabbath is wisdom
• it’s not just a day off but a day of resting in and celebrating God.

*which ones resonate with you- what would YOU add to this working definition? 

“Sabbath is more than just a day, its a way of being in the world. It’s a spirit of restfulness that comes from abiding, from living in the Father’s loving presence all week long.” 

Sabbath boundaries- might be different for people. 

Practicals - 

• Prepping- "What can I do today that will make tomorrow more restful?"
• Pick a day or time period ahead of time
• Write down  boundaries

“For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith, it is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.” Ortberg 

Resources for sabbath and rest:

• John Mark Comer books- “Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” and “Garden City”
• Peter Scazzero “Emotionally Healthy Leadership”
• Abraham Joshua Heschel “The sabbath”
• (No