This book by Seattle author, Lynne Baab, is an invitation to examine the gift of sabbath God offers his people. Lynne and her husband “stumbled into sabbath keeping” years ago while living in the Middle East, first in Iran for six months and then in Israel for a year and a half. Lynne is a wife, mother, pastor and author. She has entered the “rhythm” of sabbath keeping for 25 years and writes not only from personal experience but also includes information gleaned from interviews with over one hundred people exploring their views and personal habits of rest.
 
As a pastor’s wife with grown children I work as a nurse part time, serve on church committees, am involved with people in small groups and participate in ministry with my husband. I am pretty well set in routines, which, up until I read Sabbath Keeping, never led me to consider taking a full day each week to stop all work and rest. And for heaven’s sake what constitutes “rest”? If we don’t have a church activity or someone to visit we have no problem relaxing on Sunday afternoon. So that is kind of a half-sabbath, right?

Much of the time the ordinary business of life and ministry is enjoyable and my personality lends itself well to what I do. I like to read and there are always books and articles I believe I must read, or others think I must read, but when I picked up Baab’s Sabbath Keeping and began reading chapter one, “A Gift For Our Time,” I sensed God
issuing me a personal invitation to consider his gift of sabbath as a regular experience of rest and refreshment.

I wonder what the percentage might be of pastors and church staff regularly taking a day off, a day of rest from the should's, ought's and ‘I’ve got to’s of their personal and professional lives? Rhythm is a word which suggests a pattern and God gives us a pattern in Exodus 20:8-11, “remember the sabbath day,” “keep it holy,” work hard for six days, rest on the seventh, rest from all work, just as he did after his work of creation. Is the rhythm of sabbath-keeping possible and desirable for pastors, leaders, and those we serve in the 21st century?  If Sunday is the official sabbath how can those who work on Sunday afford to enter and enjoy a sabbath rest? Jesus says,

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:28-29).

This is the invitation Baab has responded to and addresses in Sabbath Keeping.

In our culture and world our worth as individuals is measured by how hard we work and by our productivity. A young mother of a preschooler made a comment to Lynne after she heard her speak about sabbath keeping,

“I didn’t know I was allowed to rest,”

There is also confusion about the sabbath, what it is and how to keep it. By definition Baab speaks of the sabbath as

“a weekly day of rest and worship. A day to cease working and relax in God’s care for us. A day to stop the things that occupy our workdays and participate in activities that nurture peace, worship, relationships, celebration and thankfulness. The purpose of the sabbath is to clear away the distractions of our lives so we can rest in God and experience God’s grace in a new way.”

Though her style of writing is to suggest many options when considering our own choices of when and how to observe the sabbath, the author is definite in that it is a time to stop whatever we would label work or whatever appears on our to-do list.

Throughout the book we get fascinating glimpses into the lives of real people who enter into sabbath keeping, and we are offered the freedom to consider for our own lives what this art and discipline might look like. We receive the benefit of Lynne’s scholarship and pastoral heart as she looks at scripture and draws life applications we can relate to. In one of the last chapters, “Going it alone and other practical issues,” the author considers:

• the sabbath for families,
• spending the day alone or with others,
• avoiding legalism and perfection,
• showing mercy, and
• sabbath moments verses sabbath days.

She says,

“…facing practical challenges and experimenting with solutions for a workable sabbath will indeed bring good things into our lives. Finding rest in Christ gives great gifts no matter what form the rest takes.”

I believe that, like the Good Shepherd, pastors and church leaders desire to lead their sheep to green pastures and still waters, places where the joy of salvation may be renewed and intimacy with the Father enjoyed. Entering those places themselves through sabbath keeping will not only model the discipline but more importantly bring a spiritual and physical fitness to their own lives protecting against cultural influences which shout from every direction that faithfulness and worth are linked solely to our work and productivity. This book enabled me to explore and begin the practice of sabbath keeping and will be a frequent reference as I look at the questions for reflection, discussion and journaling at the end of each chapter.

Lynne includes a list of references to other writers and books on the subject of sabbath keeping and has authored A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife and Beating Burnout in Congregations. She is currently working on a new book and pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Washington.

book
Sabbath Keeping (2005)

exerpt
Chapter One

reviews
A Gentle Antidote to Legalistic Lists
Susan O’Loughlin Ward

Reflections on Rest From the Neonatal Care Unit
Sarah Sanderson

Dine on This Sumptuous Feast Rev. Monica McDowell Elvig

A Day of Rest from the Should's and Ought's
Jeanette Krantz

articles

A Day Off From God Stuff? "Leadership Journal," Spring 2007

Gifts of Freedom: The Sabbath and Fasting to be published in "Conversations"

The Gift of Rest
Today's Christian Woman (Sept 2005)

Sabbath-Keeping—It's OK to Start Small Presbyterians Today (July/Aug 2005)

A Day Without a ‘Do’ List Discipleship Journal (July/Aug 2005)

Stopping: The Gift of the Sabbath Congregations (Summer 2003)

interviews
The Sabbath Doesn't Have To Be Perfect

Beyond a Sunday Nap

buy the book
(Amazon.com)
(ChristianBooks.com)