Genesis: Sabbath - guide

Open with Prayer

Gracious God, bring us out of this day and make us fully present to you and one another

in this time. We ask for your peace to calm whatever is troubled in us. We ask for your Spirit to

meet us now. We pray for open hearts to receive all you have for us in this time.

We pray this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

● What gives you rest?

● What things weary us and take away our rest?

Read Genesis 2:1-3

● What verbs/action words or phrases do you find?

● Heather mentioned that the word “rest” has a sense of “settling in.” Sometimes our

home can be a place of rest or settling in for us. God made the world as a place for him

and us to settle in. What does “settling in” sound like to you? What

thoughts/images/emotions does it bring?

● The Sabbath day came into being to honor God’s resting on the seventh day. Have you

had experience with sabbath, whether positive or negative? Have you and/or do you

practice sabbath?

The Gospels note various actions that Jesus did on the Sabbath. They were a way of God

reclaiming the wholeness that was a part of his creation. Read Mark 2:23-28.

● What does Jesus do and how does he speak of the sabbath?

● One example of helping to restore wholeness in people’s lives is generosity which can

help unburden others who don’t have certain resources. What other ways can you think

of that can bring wholeness to people around us?

Close with sharing and prayer