Reviews for Sabbath: The Ancient Practices

The average rating for Sabbath: The Ancient Practices based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-08-28 00:00:00 Terry Paquette This book annoyed me at first. Then it surprised me. Then it changed me. It is a book about the practice of Sabbath. But in reality, it is a book about God's heart for us. Words like delight, play, feasting, sensuality and rest haven't been much a part of my experience of the Sabbath day, which means, they haven't been a part of any other day either. Because, of course, if not on the Sabbath, then when? Allender's premise is, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Not a day off, but a day to intentionally and passionately pursue delighting in God and all his good gifts. Not a day to "vacate," but a day we should approach pro-actively. "What would I do for a twenty-four-hour period of time if the only criteria was to pursue my deepest joy?" That is the question Allender sets out to answer. That was the part that annoyed me. It is a disorienting question. I have always viewed my struggle to Sabbath well as a fight with busyness, drivenness, and time. What if, instead, it is a fight against delight? What is my real problem is, as Allender contends, that I don't know how to do joy? "It is nearly impossible to believe that God wants us to have a day of wonder, delight, and joy?" (pg 29) I was hoping for practical help with Sabbath-keeping. There is very little (until the very last chapters). i understand why. The better part of the book is spent helping the reader overcome the spiritual vertigo brought on by the initial question. We just don't approach God like that - as if what he wants most is our joy. It took me some time to shake off the disorientation. By the time I got to the "Sabbath Performance" section at the end, I was ready for some creative thinking about how to change my approach to the Sabbath day. I needed the category change more than the practical help. That was the surprise. Though the book is light on suggestions, it is full of stories and examples of how Allender and his wife have sought to celebrate the Sabbath. With four kids still at home, most of it seems impractical. A fairy-tale dream for anyone other than empty-nesters. However, as I finished, I found myself dreaming about so many different ways I might lead my family in observing the Day, I finally had to get out a piece of paper and write them all down. In that way, I am hopeful for change. And grateful for the help.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-01-31 00:00:00 Tommy Cavanaugh I confess: I love Dan Allender. His unique voice, which combines biblical, mystical, and practical elements is a gift to me and the church. In Sabbath, Allender suggests that we enter into the profound gift that God has given us in Sabbath rest. Allender suggests that the four pillars of Sabbath are sensual glory, holy time, communal feast, play day. He says that "The Sabbath is an invitation to enter delight. "It is the best day of the week." We are driven by fear, pride, and distraction. Trying to escape from these, our rest tends to involve us retreating from the busyness and anxiety of the world into entertainment and distraction, Sabbath offers a radical alternative to this cotton candy substitute. "The Sabbath is far more than a diversion; it is meant to be an encounter with God's delight." Allender explains, "Menuha is the Hebrew word for rest, but it is better translated as joyous repose, tranquility, or delight." Allender urges us to experience the gift of the world God has given us in neon colors on the Sabbath. He says, "What intrigues, amazes, tickles your fancy, delights your senses, and casts you into an entirely new and unlimited world is the raw material of Sabbath." He tells us that this leads to worship. "Awe must propel us to gratitude." He explains that, "Abundance is not about possession; it is utterly, completely, and solely about gratitude." "Sabbath has been called a 'sanctuary in time," Allender says. We try to break time, to steal time, but "[t]ime is to be submitted to, honored, and enjoyed." Allender explains that, "Sabbath is not a break from work; it is a redefinition of how we work, why we work, and how we create freedom through our work." Allender explains that, "We are not to work on the Sabbath because it takes us out of the play of joy. It is as bizarre as making love to your spouse, but getting out of bed during the process to cut your lawn or wash dishes. Such an offense would do far more than spoil the mood; it would be a direct assault on the integrity of joy, announcing that a mundane chore is more pleasurable than sexual joy with your spouse." In Sabbath, we experience God's delight. God invites us to play with himself, to delight in him. "The Sabbath is intended to be the most sensual day of the week." We have lost our ability to experience delight as God intends. Consumerism merely adds fuel to the fire of despair. In fact, "The only parameter that is to guide our Sabbath is delight. Will this be merely a break or a joy? Will this lead my heart to wonder or routine? Will I be more grateful or just happy that I got something done?" Sabbath is an invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good. Allender says that our tastes can be transformed. "We must develop a taste for abundance on the Sabbath, or we will not be prepared for the glory that is ahead." He continues, "The Sabbath is like every other gift'it requires practice and discipline to grow in delight." Allender reminds us that Sabbath witnesses to the freedom God us for. "All human beings are created to enjoy the freedom of the Sabbath." He continues, "We are to free the slaves because we were once slaves. Sabbath is a remembrance of the stale bondage of Egypt and the fresh air of our new garden given to us because of the faithfulness of God's covenantal love, not due to our capacity to make God happy. Yet God is more than happy with us ' he adores us and lavishes us with freedom and joy." I love this promise, "Jesus, the fullness of God and man, is the full perfection of humanity, and he calls us to a humanity that is full and alive, without flaw or fault." What a grace to have a wise guide like Allender invite us into the gift of Sabbath. I continue to learn and grow in my journey into the rhythms of Christ, Allender certainly helped me further along the path. I hope he can help you, too. For more reviews see www.thebeehive.live.