Most of us feel utterly ransacked: we’re waylaid by endless demands and stifling routines. Even our vacations have a panicky, task-like edge to them. "If I only had more time," is the mantra of our age. But is this the real problem?
Widely acclaimed author Mark Buchanan states that what we’ve really lost is "the rest of God-the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of himself we can know only through stillness." Stillness as a virtue is a foreign concept in our society, but there is wisdom in God’s own rhythm of work and rest. Sabbath is elixir and antidote. It is a gift for our sanity and wholeness--to prolong our lives, to enrich our relationships, to increase our fruitfulness, to make our joy complete. Jesus practiced Sabbath among those who had turned it into a dismal thing, a day for murmuring and finger-wagging, and he reminded them of the day’s true purpose: liberation-to heal, to feed, to rescue, to celebrate, to lavish and relish life abundant.
The gift of Sabbath is essential to our full humanity and faith, says Buchanan. Far from being some starched and dour day only to be endured, Sabbath is a day wide and bright, brimming with laughter, enough to lend beauty to all our other days. Readers will be changed forever by this pivotal book.
"It seems very unsabbath-like to describe a book about Sabbath with the adverb ’urgently’--but we urgently need this book. Mark Buchanan shows us that our busyness is killing us--killin us--and that Sabbath is our best cure, our best path for rest and reverence and discipleship."--LAUREN WINNER, Best-selling author of Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath
"With the easiness of long intimacy and a very deft hand, Buchanan here braids together into one gracious and sustaining strand the beauty of Sabbath, the wisdom of its keeping, and the generosity of God in gifting us with it. These pages are not just a blessing, they are a psalm that cries out to be joyfully engaged."--PHYLLIS TICKLE, Religion editor (ret.) Publishers Weekly and compiler of The Divine Hours
Average Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars(3.5 out of 5 stars)
3 of 3 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Robert (Westfield, Massachusetts), April 06, 2007
Many of us who desire to draw close to God know that in order to do this, we have to spend time alone with Him. Our busy schedules prevent many of us from doing this because when Sunday (the traditional sabbath)gets here we come home from church and then run all our errands all over town that we didn't do Monday-Saturday. Then we wonder why God is not answering our prayers. This book is so well written and spoke to me in such a convicting and relaxing way that I am going to re-read it and give copies to my friends and pastor. I wish there was an audiobook of it for when I travel. This book showed me how important the Sabbath is for your health. I cut my lawn on Sunday afternoon and find this relaxing. The lawnmowers steady noice drowns out any other distracting noise. I use it to talk and pray to God. In the book it explains that if this is a process that stills your heart and helps you communicate better with God then it is not violating Sabbath guidelines. Please buy this book you won't be sorry.
0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Diane (CT), September 18, 2006
This is DEFINITELY NOT a book for new Christians or non-Christians! I have read the introduction through chapter four and also chapter nine. I cannot read anymore. I find this author to be in error. He is also arrogant, foolish and lewd. I don’t see enough Gospel in this book to call it Christian!
On page four Buchanan claims that the path to heaven is in our imagination. He goes on to say that repentance is simply changing our minds; no mention of conviction from the Holy Spirit or turning from sin to Jesus: just change the way you think. He also implies that the Evil in our minds that separates us from God is simply our busyness.
On page 72, Buchanan writes, “One thing stops God dead in his tracks.” He is very haughty to assume that anything stops God! Making this statement Buchanan implies that we can control God. This is a reflection of his overall attitude of arrogance. We can control our relationship with God by distancing ourselves from Him because of our sin but we cannot control Him. Buchanan goes on to say on page 72 that, “Pride usurps God.” Again I would have to disagree with him. Nothing usurps God! God is bigger than our sin. God is bigger than anything we could even begin to imagine. Pride destroys us and our relationship with God but it doesn’t take Him by force!
Because of these statements and many others in this book from Buchanan I do not respect him as a Christian leader. His display of arrogance, lust, foolishness and pride make me question his qualifications as a pastor and teacher. There may be some tidbits of wisdom in this book but they are hard to find and I have no desire to keep searching through this book because so much of what he says here is offensive to me.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Doug Tegner (Castro Valley, CA), April 24, 2006
Phenomenal read - just what the doctor ordered! Thought-provoking, challenging, biblical, refreshing. Each chapter tweaked my thinking and challenged a new way to live.
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