2012 Seminar | Keeping Sabbath

June 28, 2013

Beginning with two congregations whose leaders are intensely aware of a need for sabbath as a dimension of congregational life and as a form of outreach to time-stressed neighbors, we asked how Christian tradition’s wisdom about sabbath can be embodied in worship, music, and daily life in particular contexts: in New York, in Texas, and (by implication) in the places where our other congregations live. We noticed social and cultural issues driving contemporary yearning for sabbath; asked how theological reflection on sabbath deepens our capacity to engage in this practice; considered the relation of sabbath to other aspects of Christian life, especially commitment to peace and social justice; and explored specific musical and liturgical forms that open space for sabbath. Dorothy Bass, who convened this session, writes, “Both congregations’ desire to explore sabbath arose from a strong sense that living well in time is extremely difficult in their contexts, and other participants echoed their experiences of being overwhelmed and distracted in our rushed and wired society.  In this session, we tried to keep our eyes on how worship, music, and the arts might help us to address this concern.  This is not a matter only of rest for ourselves, we agreed.  Rather, we shared the hope that these and other congregations might become more aware of and articulate about what the church has to offer a world in deep need of wisdom about living well in time, and also about the commitments to creation, justice, and resurrection inherent in a scriptural understanding of sabbath.” Click below to see the full student report for each congregation: