A Day of Rest: Creating a Spiritual Space in Your Week

Lately, a great many voices have been telling us how to restore a sense of quiet in our hectic lives. Hickman joins in with one simple suggestion: honor the Sabbath. Whether it is the Muslims' Friday, the Jews' Shabbat on Saturday or the Christians' Sunday, the day of rest is an integral part of ""that ancient programmed rhythm of life designed to keep us steady in the midstream of life without the constant danger of being swept off our feet."" Focusing primarily on Jewish, Christian and (to a lesser degree) Islamic traditions, Hickman does acknowledge that people can find spiritually beneficial moments of calm outside an institutional religious community. She takes a look at the evolution of the seven-day week and considers how the peacefulness of ""Sabbath time"" can be brought to certain moments of any day, as well as to certain seasons of the year. The real purpose of the book, however, is to offer readers suggestions for making the day of rest rewarding. To that end, Hickman shares stories from her own life and from others, suggests ways to take advantage of a day off and offers ideas for contemplation. (Mar.)