Study Guide for Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives
Small Group Discussion Guide
for
Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, And Delight
In Our Busy Lives
by
Wayne Muller
This study guide belongs to:
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February 8 - March 22, 2015 * Unity of Fairfax, Oakton, VA
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Dear friends,
Welcome to the small group discussion guide for Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by social activist Wayne Muller. This book was chosen to introduce or re-introduce us to the seemingly lost spiritual practice of taking a sabbath.
This study guide is written to support a seven-week series of meetings; however, your group may elect to continue meeting beyond that time. You’re encouraged to do so if that is the will of the group. It’s possible not all members will want to continue, and that’s fine as well.
Additionally, please know that your group does NOT have to discuss every question of every section. Although the questions are thoughtfully prepared, the great richness of the small group experience comes from the interaction of the group members while sharing. Plus, there is time at the beginning of each meeting to “catch up” from the preceding week.
The text Sabbath is available in the Unity of Fairfax bookstore. In the event the text is sold out, consider purchasing it through amazon.com and use the link at the bottom of the Unity of Fairfax website.
For three Sundays in February and the first four Sundays in March, the text will provide the inspiration for the Sunday messages at Unity of Fairfax. Endeavor to attend all seven Sundays in order to maximize your experience with Sabbath.
The small groups ministry at Unity of Fairfax is successful due to the many people who participate in small groups as well as those who work with me to coordinate, plan, edit and do all the other tasks required. For this series, I want especially to thank Donna Lee, small groups ministry coordinator (aka “Fairy Godmother”), Kate Law whose assistance with sign-ups has proven to be invaluable, and my writing partner Fran Patchett whose critical eye and patient heart have been godsends!
I hope this series invites you into greater awareness of the concept of sabbath and its breadth and meaning. Remember, as Jesus taught, “the Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath…” (Mark 2:27).
Or, as people often say, “let go and let God!”
Rev. Russ
Timeline for the Sabbath series at Unity of Fairfax
Week 1February 8
Sunday message: “The Joy of Rest”
Read: Remember the Sabbath and REST
Week 2February 15
Sunday message: “I Got Rhythm”
Read: RHYTHM
Week 3February 22
Sunday message: “Is Time Really Money?”
Read: TIME
Week 4March 1
Sunday message: “The Pursuit of Happiness”
Read: HAPPINESS
Week 5March 8
Sunday message: “Doing Good Badly”
Read: WISDOM
Week 6March 15
Sunday message: “The Way of Enough”
Read: CONSECRATION
Week 7March 22
Sunday message: talk title
Read: A SABBATH DAY
Note: Throughout the text, there are references to pages from Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives. This refers to:
Wayne Muller. Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives, Bantam Books, 1999.
Week 1 - FEBRUARY 8, 2015
Sabbath, by Wayne Muller
Reading for this week: Remember the Sabbath and REST
Welcome to the first week of your seven-week small group study! In the first meeting, your facilitator will lead you in a conversation of group dynamics and practices including such things as opening and closing prayer, late arrival and absences, refreshments, restroom breaks and overall facilitation. Your active participation in the discussion will enrich this experience for you and the other members of your group.
Group members will be at different levels of comfort with small group processing. Below you will find a listing of group agreements with space to add any others that your group creates. Following these agreements will foster a sense of trust that will add to the vitality of your group.
Your facilitator has taken a small group facilitator training; however, candid and helpful feedback given to your facilitator will be appreciated. Please feel free to speak to your facilitator about specific compliments or opportunities for improvement.
Our Small Group Agreements
The intention for this Small Group Exploration is:
We will start and end on time, meeting ______(day) from
______to ______for the next ______weeks.
We agree to be a ______(open/closed) group for the duration of this agreement. (“Open”means allowing new people to join the group at any time during the seven weeks.)
We agree to the following values (check those the group agrees on):
□Confidentiality: I will keep anything that is said strictly confidential. Your group may opt to adopt anonymity. Please discuss the difference and make a group decision.
□Attendance: I will give priority to the group meetings for the agreed number of weeks.
□Acceptance: We accept each other unconditionally. We are not here to “fix”each other.
□Feelings: We respect each other’s feelings.
□Okay to Pass: No one is required to share.
□Okay to Disagree: I accept that others may not hold the same view/s as me.
□Participation: I speak for myself only and listen to others attentively.
□Balance: We seek a balance in our sharing times. Everyone is welcome to share, and no one dominates.
□Prayer Support: I am willing to pray for others.
Other agreement/s:
With God as my guide, I, ______intend to uphold the
above agreement to the best of my ability.
Group Members: This information is confidential. Please use it respectfully.
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For Jews and Christians, the importance of the Sabbath begins in Exodus 20, verses 8-11 in this way (The concept of “sabbath”is found in some form in all the world’s faith traditions.):
Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Observing the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20. What does “remember the Sabbath” mean to you, and what has shaped your understanding of it? Since this is the major theme of the book, be willing to invest time in considering your answer and sharing with your group.
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Muller makes the statement that “busyness can become a kind of violence”and that Sabbath time “can invite a healing of this violence.”Sabbath, page 5.
Why do you think Muller equates busyness to violence? How have you seen or experienced this in your own life? And how have you seen or experienced the healing power of sabbath?
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Sabbath is in many ways a guidebook for spiritual practices. Several sabbath-related practices are described in each section of the book. Your group, in fact, may want to engage in some of them during your meeting or outside your regular session. Ultimately, the greatest value will be derived from your own personal exploration of the practices and your willingness to weave them into the fabric of your spiritual life.
In consideration of your remaining meeting time, pick one (or more) of the practices noted below and discuss with your group your experience with the practice and/or discuss which you will commit to in the coming week. We will read the section aloud prior to discussion.
Lighting Sabbath Candles, page 21
Creating Time and Space, page 27
A Sabbath Meal, page 33
Begin Again, page 39
Blessing, page 46
Silence, page 55
The Sabbath Box, page 60
Notes:
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“There is more to life than merely increasing its speed.”
- Gandhi
Sabbath, page 17
Week 2 - FEBRUARY 15, 2015
Sabbath, by Wayne Muller
Reading for this week: RHYTHM
Describe your insights or “a-ha’s”based on last week’s discussion and/or engagement of the seven sabbath practices noted in the section “REST”. ______
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The section “Inner Music”(pages 71-73) describes and illustrates the natural rhythms of life. How do you experience the natural rhythms of life?
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Share with the group your thoughts related to this question posed on page 79:
“What if our life is simply a time when we are blessed with both sadness and joy, health and disease, courage and fear - and all the while we work, pray, and love knowing the promised land we seek is already present in the very gift of life itself, the inestimable privilege of a human birth? Sabbath, page 79.
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“If we refuse rest until we are finished, we will never rest until we die. Sabbath dissolves the artificial urgency of our days, because it liberates us from the need to be finished.”Sabbath, page 83 (italics per the text).
What do you feel when you consider this aspect of sabbath time? How comfortable are you with the thought of“not being finished?”
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On page 92, Muller writes, “Lectiodivina, or contemplative reading, is an ancient practice common to most religions. It begins with a short passage of scripture or inspirational writing, and then quietly reflecting upon it - not analyzing or trying to figure out the meaning - but rather allowing it to quietly work on you, as leavening the bread, as water on a stone. The key is to read slowly, chew over the words, and allow them to quietly nourish and heal you.”
For this exercise, select three members of your group to read the 23rd Psalm. The first will read it slowly. After a minute or two of silence, the second reader will read it again in a prayerful way. Then, after another minute or two, the third reader will read at a similar, contemplative pace.
Allow for a few moments of silence, then share your experience of the contemplative reading. What insights did you have? How did the different voices impact your comprehension of the words? Was there a particular line that spoke to you; and if so, why? Don’t censor or judge the experience; just allow it to happen.
Psalm 23 (King James Version)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Notes and observations from LectioDivina exercise:
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This week, you are encouraged to practice the sabbath exercises found in this chapter:
The Sabbath Walk, page 70
The Cadence of Breath, page 74
Nature, page 80
Prayer, page 86
LectioDivina, page 92
Notes:
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“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1
Sabbath, page 65.
Week 3 - FEBRUARY 22, 2015
Sabbath, by Wayne Muller
Reading for this week: TIME
Describe your insights or “a-ha’s”based on last week’s discussion and/or engagement of the five sabbath practices noted in the section “RHYTHM”.
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In this provocative chapter, Muller raises this values-based question: “How do we decide we have too much time and not enough money, and when do we know we have too much money and not enough time?” He goes on to comment, “In our culture we so overvalue money that this question is rarely asked.” Sabbath, page 98.
Respond to Muller’s question and share your response with your group.
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What does the expression “time is money”mean to you, and how have you experienced the consciousness of this axiom in your life?
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Muller is clear in his objection to Gross National Product as the prime measurement of a well-run nation; however, at least one nation, Bhutan, has instituted another way of measuring its vitality - Gross National Happiness. According to one official Bhutanese website:
Gross National Happiness is a term coined by His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, JigmeSingyeWangchuck in the 1970s. The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards notions of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing. The concept of GNH has often been explained by its four pillars: good governance, sustainable socio-economic development, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation. Lately the four pillars have been further classified into nine domains in order to create widespread understanding of GNH and to reflect the holistic range of GNH values. The nine domains are: psychological wellbeing, health, education, time use, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity and resilience, and living standards. The domains represents each of the components of wellbeing of the Bhutanese people, and the term ‘wellbeing’ here refers to fulfilling conditions of a ‘good life’ as per the values and principles laid down by the concept of Gross National Happiness.
[Accessed 22 January 2015].
If the United States were to institute an equivalent index to GNH, what would you include and why?
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“So many truly precious things grow only in the soil of time; and we can only begin to know their value when we stop counting.”Sabbath, page 112.
What do you most value that can “only grow in the soil of time?”
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This week, you are encouraged to practice the sabbath exercises found in this chapter:
Play, page 102
Altar, page 107
Reciting our Precepts, page 113
The Wealth of Companionship, page 118
Notes:
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“Does anybody really know what time it is?”
Chicago, LP “Chicago Transit Authority”released 1969
Week 4 - MARCH 1, 2015
Sabbath, by Wayne Muller
Reading for this week: HAPPINESS
Describe your insights or “a-ha’s”based on last week’s discussion and/or engagement of the four sabbath practices noted in the section “TIME”.
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On page 126 Muller describes “a ‘hungry ghost’economy,”onethat does not create happiness, but rather suffering. He suggests that “we quench our thirst with Sabbath tranquility.”Sabbath, page 126.
Share why you agree or disagree with Muller on this point. Is there an experience from your life experience that illustrates your opinion?
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Muller makes the assertion that “Happiness is the single commodity not produced by the free-market economy.”Sabbath, page 132.
What do you think is the current relationship between happiness and the marketplace?
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What do you think is the ideal relationship between happiness and the marketplace?
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Would you consider this small group experience to be a sabbath experience? Why or why not?
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“Sabbath,”Muller says on page 148, “is a delight for the senses.” For many, is a novel way of considering the Sabbath. Describe your thoughts and reactions to this statement. Sabbath, page 148.
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This week, you are encouraged to practice the sabbath exercises found in this chapter:
Gratefulness, page 128
Happiness for Free, page 133
Morning Rituals, page 138
Stopping to Rest, page 145
Take off Your Shoes, page 153
Notes:
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“Just to be is a blessing.
Just to live is holy.”
- Rabbi Abraham Heschel
Sabbath, page 123
Week 5 - MARCH 8, 2015
Sabbath, by Wayne Muller
Reading for this week: WISDOM
Describe your insights or “a-ha’s”based on last week’s discussion and/or engagement of the five sabbath practices noted in the section “HAPPINESS”.
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“The words cure and curious share the same root. During the Sabbath, we can listen with openness and curiosity - what Buddhists call choiceness awareness. Here, voices can speak to us, voices we hear only in the quiet. Only at rest can we hear what we have not heard before, and be led to what is most deeply beautiful, necessary, and true.”Sabbath, page 162.
Share a time in your life when you had the experience of “choiceless awareness.”
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Refer to the practice exercise “Sleeping on It”on page 170. What do you think makes “sleeping on it”an effective process for addressing an issue or problem?
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“We are most human when we do no great things. We are not so important; we are simply dust and spirit - at best, loving midwives, participants in a process much larger than we are. If we are quiet and listen and feel how things move, perhaps we will be wise enough to put our hands on what waits to be born, and bless it with kindness and care. But in the end, we are granted the tremendous blessing of knowing that we do very little at all by ourselves.”Sabbath, page 176.
Respond to this statement.
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Tell about a time when you became sabbath for someone else or someone else was sabbath for you. What happened? What did you think? How did you feel?
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“…Suzuki Roshi exalts the virtue of what he calls ‘beginner’s mind,’a condition of being able to embrace and accept a certain level of inevitable unknowing. It is, he says, a fertile practice, because often it is when we do not know the outcome that all things become possible.” Sabbath, page 187.