Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight

Mention Sabbath and most people envision a day of rest or possibly attendance at a worship service. But for Wirzba, chair of the philosophy department at Georgetown College in Kentucky, Sabbath is a way of life untangled from a consumer-dominated economy in order to slow down and appreciate life: "Put simply, Sabbath discipline introduces us to God's own ways of joy and delight." Using the lens of the Jewish Sabbath practice, Wirzba looks at contemporary life and explains why the most affluent nation on earth harbors so many discontented and unsatisfied people. What if education focused more on holy desire and delight than credentialing? How might our lives change if we took the time to grow, harvest and prepare our own food? In his chapter on Sabbath economy, he calls for the equitable distribution of resources as a top goal—an idea basic to the Hebrew Bible's understanding of Sabbath, but marginal to North American culture, even church culture. Far from merely urging readers to observe Sabbath once a week, this book will humble, fascinate, but most of all challenge spiritual seekers to pursue the fullness of Sabbath. (Dec.)