About the Course


We are more distracted, more harried, and more exhausted than ever. As all of life’s many demands compete for our time and attention, we can find ourselves working ceaselessly and on the brink of breakdown. We may say that we hate how busy we are, but we just can’t seem to slow down—and we may secretly like the frantic pace of our lives. We may feed on busyness as a marker of our importance and value. And although we know we should take a break, we just keep resisting rest. 

What we need, more than anything else, is to stop. And according to Tara Owens, Spiritual Director and founder of Anam Cara Ministries, Sabbath is first and foremost about learning how to stop. Join Tara as she explores the biblical origins of the Sabbath, explains why we have such a hard time practicing it, and shows us why it’s vital that we recover the Bible’s teaching on deep spiritual rest. To draw these themes together, Brian Gray, COO and Director of the 5280 Fellowship at Denver Institute for Faith and Work, orients us to the how of Sabbath, sketching practical Sabbath rhythms that we can implement to slow down in the midst of our hectic lives. 

What You'll Learn

  • Why do our lives feel so frantic and out of control?
  • What is the root cause of our obsession with over-busyness?
  • Why do we resist rest?

  • What does the Bible teach—and not teach—about the Sabbath?

  • What are tangible practices we can put into place to cultivate Sabbath rest?

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Lesson 1 - Starting with Stopping

    • We Can't Stop

    • The gods in Our Pockets

    • The "Unholy" Sabbath

    • The Purpose is to Stop
  • 2

    Lesson 2 - Escape from Egypt

    • Living the Wrong Rhythm

    • Sacred Time

    • Sabbath as Deliverance

    • You Don't Have to Earn It
  • 3

    Lesson 3 - Starting Again

    • Sabbath Works

    • What's Your Pharaoh?

    • Sabbath Excuses

    • Gatekeepers of the Sabbath

    • You Can Stop Now
  • 4

    Lesson 4 - Applying Sabbath

    • The How of Sabbath

    • What Will You Say "No" To?

    • What Will You Say "Yes" To?

    • Building Sabbath Rhythms

    • How Do We Actually Do It?

  • 5

    Lesson 5 - Sabbath Questions and Answers

    • Q&A

About the Instructors

Director, Author, & Founder of Anam Cara Ministries

Tara Owens

ara is a spiritual director, author, and founder of Anam Cara Ministries, a place of where true soul friendship can be found. She has a Masters of Theological Studies in Spiritual Formation from Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Canada and served as editor of Conversations Journal, an acclaimed publication providing intellectually rich content to an audience seeking spiritual formation. She authored Embracing the Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone, a book that guides readers to see their bodies not as an inconvenience but as a place where they can meet the Holy in a new way―a place to embrace God’s glorious intention.

Vice President of Formation & Director of The 5280 Fellowship

Brian Gray

Brian Gray is vice president of formation at Denver Institute for Faith Work and director of the 5280 Fellowship program—a rigorous and selective leadership program in Denver and Boulder for full-time professionals who are committed to applying the gospel to their work. Previously, Brian served as a pastor for thirteen years and as a professor at Denver Seminary for four years.