Many times we get caught up in all that needs to be done thought out the hour, day, month, year, and we forget to pause.
As many of us feel the pull to try and keep up and squeeze in a few more hours of work, scripture calls us to shift and slow down from time to time to be more mindful. Taking real time to stop and put down your distraction and be present with God and those that matter most to you is life changing. If you want to check out some resources about how to practice and more fully understand the discipline of sabbath we have a few books to check out below. But first, I use the word discipline intentionally. This is because we get so caught up with the “next” that we miss out on the present. We need to will ourselves to slow down and tend to relationships that matter most.
Here are 2 books that might help you reclaim your sabbath practice:
The first is “Sabbath as Resistance” by Walter Brueggemann. Brueggemann calls out our 24/7 society of consumption, a society in which we live to achieve, accomplish, perform, and possess. We want more, own more, use more, eat more, and drink more. Brueggemann shows readers how keeping the Sabbath allows us to break this restless cycle and focus on what is truly important: God, other people, all life. Perfect for groups or self-reflection, Sabbath as Resistance offers a transformative vision of the wholeness God intends, giving world-weary Christians a glimpse of a more fulfilling and simpler life through Sabbath observance.
The book can be found on Amazon here https://amzn.to/2CeqCK2
The Second book is titles “Mudhouse Sabbath” by Lauren Winner. After her conversion from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity, Lauren Winner found that her life was indelibly marked by the rich traditions and spiritual practices of Judaism. She set out to discover how she could incorporate some of these practices into her new faith. Winner presents eleven Jewish spiritual practices that can transform the way Christians view the world and God. Whether discussing attentive eating, marking the days while grieving, the community that supports a marriage, candle-lighting, or the differences between the Jewish Sabbath and a Sunday spent at the Mudhouse, her favorite coffee shop, Winner writes with appealing honesty and rare insight.
The book can be found on Amazon here https://amzn.to/2C8RrPP