Every Sunday morning, sophomore Genna Christie leaves for Lookout Mountain Presbyterian at 9 a.m. When the service ends, she heads out to lunch with her family. It’s her sabbath rest routine, a routine she often finds interrupted.
“I couldn’t enjoy lunch because I had an exam the next day and other assignments due. I was stressed the whole lunch, trying to eat fast. When I got back, everyone was hanging out, and I had to take my homework elsewhere,” said Christie.
Taking a full Sabbath rest is not common on Covenant’s campus, though it is encouraged. Before arriving this fall, student leaders in the Planted program were required to read “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer, who emphasized the importance of slowing down and setting aside the Sabbath.
In leadership training, Lena Glaze, coordinator of Student Leadership, highlighted taking this rest as a matter of character and spiritual formation.
“We have to steward our bodies and relationships as well as our minds. Regular rest creates space for physical, mental and spiritual renewal: all of which are critical to good, faithful leadership,” said Glaze.
Yet, two weeks into the school year, few, if any, students do it.
“I would say I’m never able to fully take the Sabbath because my view of the Sabbath is resting, both physically and spiritually, and being a collegiate soccer player six days a week, I end up doing a lot of homework. I’m not able to mentally rest,” said sophomore soccer player Eric Sonnenschein.
Covenant intentionally sets aside Sunday from events and sports. In 2016, Kyle Taylor, the director of Athletics, announced that the women's tennis team would be forfeiting the USA South Conference Championship match scheduled for a Sunday.
“As an institution owned and operated by the Presbyterian Church in America, we observe the Sabbath by not competing in athletic events on Sunday,” said Taylor in the statement from the college.
It’s not just sports that are stopped for Sundays on the mountain.
The student handbook says: “Remembering God’s call to rest from the labors of the week, Covenant is committed to continuing a day of rest from non-necessary work and a pursuit toward personal and public worship.”
The student handbook goes on to list things that Covenant will not do on Sundays, such as running offices or facilities. Students across campus value this intentional weekly break. However, while sports, events, work-study and offices are stopped on Sundays, homework never stops. Students go back and forth on whether to blame due dates or their time management skills.
“Homework is a part of it, and that’s probably my fault. It feels like a lot of homework accumulates on Monday, and you’re just kind of stressed about it all weekend,” said senior Abigail Emerson.
Some question whether the school should establish rules for schoolwork in the same way it does for the rest of school activities. One option is to prohibit professors from assigning tests and papers on Mondays. When given this option in the interview, the response was largely positive.
“I think that would allow students to rest more, I would actually love that. Homework is my biggest barrier to Sabbath rest,” said Marae Tinzman.
“It would be nice to allow us to really focus and take some time for ourselves on Sunday,” said Sonnenschein.
Due dates, often in the form of tests, mean that to do well students feel the need to sacrifice their Sunday rest. Professors assume Saturdays are set aside for studying and homework, but students have other ideas. On Saturday, athletes like Sonnenschein are busy with sports, clubs often meet together, and many students go to work.
There are a few professors, such as Dr. Bill Davis, professor of philosophy, who is known for his class rules concerning the Sabbath. When asked about tests and exams on Mondays, some students recall classes that Dr. Davis began by saying he would not assign exams or papers on Mondays. But, this is not as common a class practice as you would think.
“I’ve been told by professors ways to ‘technically’ keep the Sabbath and get work done,” Christie said. “But I had to work eight hours on Saturdays.”
While students and professors are unsure if there is one agreed-upon source for the lack of Sabbath on campus, most are united over the desire for the campus to reflect rest on Sundays.