The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath

[The Rest of God] by [[Mark Buchanan]] is perhaps the best book I've read on Sabbath keeping--and I've read a lot, having kept Sabbath for all 43 years of my Christian walk.

Mr. Buchanan, a pastor, doesn't get bogged down in do's and don'ts--rather he focuses on the wonderful benefits of Sabbath keeping and how much we need a break, a rest from our usual work. He relates how, despite being a pastor, he didn't keep any kind of Sabbath for years. He eventually got so sick he had to take a break, a Sabbatical from his pastorate. He found that humbling and educational for the benefits of the Sabbath. I found his candor and humility about his errors to be refreshing and made his case far stronger.

I recommend this book for any Christian who show more wishes to draw closer to God and doesn't currently observe any day of rest. It also is educational for any person of another faith who is curious about Christian Sabbath keeping.

One last point: although whether a Christian Sabbath should be celebrated on Saturday or Sunday is a divisive point, Mr. Buchanan completely bypasses the issue, focusing rather on the spirit and intent of the Sabbath--time devoted to God, every week. show less

One of my favorite books, worth re-reading once a year. Extremely well written with life changing and needed ideas about rest, and that God designed us to need rest, thinking it so important that it was a part of the 10 commandments, just like not murdering.

Buchanan is one of the most gifted speakers and writers I've encountered. God has wonderfully gifted him with the ability to cut the bible open, and lay its contents bare. He's made me feel like I've never read the passage he's talking about before, and after sitting with his teaching in insight, I doubt I'll ever read them the same way again. In the Rest of God, Mark is aiming at the heart of the crisis of our culture of busyness and restlessness. Buchanan reminds us that the Sabbath was made for man, and that God's desire that we have and live lives with his peace and rest and joy is too easily forgotten.

A look at ways to do Sabbath without making it legalistic. Buchanan discusses the way we look at work and busyness, as well as time,stating that “under God’s economy, nothing really changes until our minds do. Transformation is the fruit of a changed outlook. First our minds are renewed and then we are transformed. And then everything is different, even if it stays the same. God is more interested in changing your thinking than in changing your circumstances” (32-33). This book is not a prescription for Sabbath, for in it, Buchanan argues against the legalism of religion. However, it does make suggestions about what can be included while practicing Sabbath, with chapters in the book covering playing, restoring, feasting, show more listening, remembering, reflecting and anticipating. He submits, as Sabbath’s golden rule, the following: “Cease from what is necessary. Embrace that which gives life,” based on the fact that Jesus Himself broke the rules of Sabbath in order to give life (129). show less

Buchanan looks at various aspects of the Sabbath and how it applies to us today. The world has often glorified the workaholic whereas there is an increasing body of scientific evidence to suggest we actually get more done when we take regular breaks. Buchanan points out that it takes faith to rest. We temporarily let go of our responsibilities which reminds us that we are not in charge of running the universe. It reminds us that there are so many things we cannot control and that God can manage without us.

Buchanan also looks at the Bible's instruction to cease work one day a week. The Bible does not define in much detail the word, "work". Perhaps in the culture it was written there was no need to explain it but in our world the word show more "work" means different things to different people. For some gardening is work, for others it is leisure. For some sport is work, for others it is leisure. For some reading is work, for me it is leisure.

Jesus is our example. He took regular breaks. He never appeared rushed or hassled. He was not pressed into doing what other people expected (Mark 1:36-38). He brought health and wholeness on the Sabbath.

So what does one actually do when one takes a Sabbath rest? Buchanan advice is: "Stop doing what you ought to do. There are six days to do what you ought. … Cease from what is necessary. Embrace that which gives life." show less

I have read the introduction and I'm loving it!! So much to speak to my overwhelmed, almost done with graduate school but still pushing though, spirit.

Found this author today (2022 0610 fr 23 cest). I'm curious if this is pastoral or technical (restoring saturday). The word Sabbath looks to be misused for Sunday.
Lost from whom.


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