Delight in God is not just a personal experience but meant to be multiplied and shared in community.
Joy is both a feeling and a character trait, requiring conscious choice and a shift in mindset, and Sabbath is a discipline of celebration and a delivery mechanism for joy.
Sabbath is best practiced in community, with the Sabbath meal being a transformative experience that brings people together, shares joy, and builds relationships.
Deep dives
Delight is Meant to be Shared
Delight is described as a shared reality and connected to bending oneself towards something or someone. It is not just a personal experience but an experience meant to be multiplied. Sabbath is seen as a day of delight that requires a foundation of rest and stopping. The podcast emphasizes the importance of not only delighting individually but in community as well.
The Nature of Joy in Sabbath
The podcast explores the nature of joy and its relationship to Sabbath. Joy is described as both a feeling and a character trait. It is based on both our circumstances and our relationship with God. Joy is also seen as a discipline that requires conscious choice and a shift in mindset. Sabbath is presented as a discipline of celebration and a delivery mechanism for joy.
The Role of Community and the Sabbath Meal
The podcast highlights the importance of community in practicing Sabbath and experiencing delight. Sabbath is not only an individual practice but is best done in community. The Sabbath meal is highlighted as a key component of communal Sabbath practice. It is seen as a way to come together, share joy, and build relationships. The podcast suggests that starting Sabbath with a community meal can be a transformative experience.
Redefining and creating new memories through Sabbath
Sabbath provides a space to redefine our perspectives and memories of God, ourselves, and others. It allows us to approach God through fresh lenses each week, breaking free from our ingrained patterns and anticipations. Through Sabbath, we can build new joyful and delightful memories that reframe our experiences and nurture our relationship with God.
Delight as an expression of gratitude and a path to holiness
Many people in the church lack delight and joy in their lives, often due to a focus on work and the absence of a category for joy. Sabbath offers an opportunity to prioritize delight, shifting our orientation and saying 'yes' to what brings us joy. Delighting in God's gifts and experiencing true joy aids in avoiding sin and temptation. Joyful and delighted people tend to be holier, as they honor God and experience His goodness more fully.
In a delight deficient culture, what does it look like to delight in God? Is delight different from happiness? What does delight have to do with practicing the sabbath? In this third episode of the sabbath series, John Mark, Bethany, and Bryan dive into the third movement through the lens of one core reality: God is joyful.
These podcasts accompany nine Practices developed by Practicing the Way. Thanks to the generosity of The Circle, these practices are now free. To learn more about The Circle or to participate in the Practice with your church, community, or small group, visit www.practicingtheway.org.
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