Question 359: How Do You Practice Rest As A Christian?

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

Question 359: How do you practice rest as a Christian?

I practice rest as a Christian by setting aside time each week for worship, renewal, and delight in God. I honor the Lord’s Day by ceasing from ordinary work, attending corporate worship, and spending time in prayer, Scripture, and fellowship. I also cultivate daily rhythms of quietness, trust, and dependence on God, remembering that true rest comes from abiding in Christ. In all things, I trust God as my provider and embrace rest as His gift of grace. (Exodus 20:8–10, Matthew 11:28–29, Mark 2:27, Hebrews 4:9–11, Psalm 46:10)

Full Scripture References

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God…” – Exodus 20:8–10 (BSB)

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28–29 (BSB)

“Then Jesus declared, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” – Mark 2:27 (BSB)

“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” – Hebrews 4:9, 11 (BSB)

“Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

To practice rest as a Christian is to embrace a holy rhythm of work and worship, of action and stillness. God calls us to rest not merely to recharge but to re-center—to remember that we are His, not our own. Bishop Charlie Masters (ANiC, Diocese of the Living Word) writes, “Christian rest is not just stopping; it is stopping to remember, worship, and delight in the Lord who sustains us.” (Sacred Rest, 2022)

The clearest expression of Christian rest is in the observance of the Lord’s Day. Far from being a burden, the Sabbath is a grace—set apart for worship, fellowship, and refreshment. Fr. Isaac Rehberg (ACNA, All Saints San Antonio, TX) explains, “The Lord’s Day anchors the week. It tells us that God is sovereign, not our schedule; and that joy, not striving, is at the center of the Christian life.” (Keeping the Day Holy, 2021)

Daily rest is also vital—brief moments of prayer, silence, and Scripture that interrupt the hurry of life and remind us of God’s presence. Fr. Caleb Evans (Anglican Orthodox Church, St. Stephen’s Mission, GA) teaches, “We rest not only weekly but daily. Stillness before God is a spiritual discipline that roots us in His peace.” (Practicing the Presence of Rest, 2020)

Rest also means trusting God enough to cease from self-reliance. It is an act of humility and faith, declaring that our identity and provision come from Him. Fr. Thomas Buchan (Anglican Union, St. Mark’s Anglican Church, VA) writes, “Sabbath is a statement of faith: that God is enough, and I am not defined by what I produce.” (The Sabbath and the Self, 2021)

Canon George Grant (ACNA, Parish Presbyterian Church, TN) adds, “Practicing rest is spiritual warfare in an anxious world. It is a defiant joy that says, ‘The Lord reigns—I can be still.’” (Recovering Anglican Piety, 2019)

Early Church Fathers On Catechism Question

“Cease from toil that your soul may listen. For in quietness, God speaks, and in stillness, the heart is healed.” – Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, c. 398 AD

“Honor the day of rest, for it teaches man his limits and his Lord. Let your hands be still and your heart lifted in praise.” – Basil the Great, Homily on the Sabbath, c. 370 AD

“Let the Christian sanctify the Lord’s Day not with idleness, but with worship. For the rest of the body is joined to the refreshment of the soul.” – John Chrysostom, Homily on Matthew 11, c. 390 AD

“The rest of the Christian is not escape, but communion. Let the faithful find strength in quietness and joy in holy stillness.” – Cyprian of Carthage, On the Lord’s Day, c. 250 AD

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

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An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)