Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest

by Lynne M. Baab

Let's give ourselves an A for effort. When we fail to rest we do more than burn ourselves out. We misunderstand the God who calls us to rest--who created us to be people of rest. Let's face our rest needs work. Sabbath recalls our creation, and with it God's satisfaction with us as he made us, without our hurried wrangling and harried worrying. It also recalls God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, and with it God's ability to do completely what we cannot complete in ourselves. Sabbath keeping reminds us that we are free to rest each week. Eighteen months in Tel Aviv, Israel, where a weekly sabbath is built into the culture, began Lynne M. Baab's twenty-five-year embrace of a rhythm of rest―as a stay-at-home mom, as a professional writer working out of her home and as a minister of the gospel. With collected insights from sabbath keepers of all ages and backgrounds, Sabbath Keeping offers a practical and hopeful guidebook that encourages all of us to slow down and enjoy our relationship with the God of the universe.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Spirituality, Faith, Religion, Christianity

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2005

About the author

I was born in Washington, DC, and moved at 18 months to Athens, Greece. That would be the first of 12 moves in my first 15 years. My dad was in the military. Two of the few constants in my life were church attendance and reading.

As a kid I loved Nancy Drew, the Little House on the Prairie books, and the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. Probably my most favorite were the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. Betsy was so sure she would be a writer when she grew up, and I thought I'd like to do that too.

My writing career began in earnest at midlife. I've read a lot of biographies of writers, and they seem either to start young (like Georgette Heyer who wrote her first book as a teenager) or at midlife. I did write a couple magazine articles in my twenties and a couple more in my thirties, but I started focusing on writing in my late thirties.

It took me a year to write my first short story ("A Garden of Living Water," the title story in my collection of short stories published for kindle). in my late thirties, I wrote a handful of short stories, mostly focused on themes of "what am I going to be after being a stay at home mom"). In my early forties, I wrote four novels. I have recently published two of them for kindle ("Dead Sea" and "Deadly Murmurs").

I was 45 when I got my first book contract (for "Personality Type in Congregations"). More books followed every year or two after that. Every one of them is precious to me. Equally precious are the three Bible study guides I wrote, for which my husband, Dave, did the background research into each biblical passage. It was fun to work with him. My Bible study guides are "Sabbath," "Prayers of the New Testament," and "Prayers of the Old Testament."

My strongest selling books are "Sabbath Keeping" (which has been chosen to be a "book of the day" at the Urbana Conference December 2018), "Fasting," and "Personality Type in Congregation." My latest book focuses on Christian care, "Nurturing Hope." It's the first book I've ever been asked to write, and it's the "anchor volume" for a series of books on pastoral care.

Dave and I live in Seattle, and our two sons live here, too. One of them is married and the father of our beloved granddaughter. Our other son is a journalist with the Huffington Post, writing long and interesting articles using the pen name Michael Hobbes. It's easy to find his articles online because they are read by millions of readers. It is a thrill to have a writer son with such a big audience.

The topics of my books continue to be very real in my own life. I keep a weekly Sabbath, and I engage in a variety of Christian spiritual practices. I try to care for the people God puts in my path.

Thanks for reading my books. I am deeply aware of the privilege of being a writer, and writers depend on readers. Please visit my website where I blog every week: lynnebaab.com.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how occasionally you read a book and you come away (wanting your own copy if it's a library book and) wanting to buy a few copies for your friends? This is one of those books.
American Christians tend to view the Sabbath as something that invites rules and legalism. Instead, this book does an excellent job of turning that on its head and offering the Sabbath as an antidote to the frenzied lifestyle we so often lead. Challenging our compulsion to always be doing and producing and never taking a break.
Take a break. Sit back and reflect and worship and fellowship and be.

Early on in the book, it touched on something profound. If we struggle with pausing to really pray, it may simply be because we have not learned how to pause.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a thought provoking book about what a true Sabbath observance should look like. I really enjoyed her emphasis on how Sabbath keeping changes with personality types (introvert vs extrovert), current work situation (those in church ministry, those in sales surrounded by people, stay-at-home parents, etc), and family situation. And while I enjoyed that aspect of the book, it did bring up feelings of uncertainty in me as well as I thought about the fact that the Sabbath is mandated and was celebrated in a very specific way in the Bible. So clearly there are some aspects that must be observed, but too much rigid structure around the Sabbath can easily move into legalism. Basically, Sabbath keeping should be "rest" and "stop doing" or "cease from your daily to-do list" to be able to enjoy God's creation and hear God speak.

Some pertinent thoughts to dwell on:
P. 11 " What is the sabbath? A weekly day of rest and worship. A day to cease working and relaxing in God's care for us. A day to stop the things that occupy our workdays and participate in activists 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."
P. 14 "God knows me better than I know myself. He made the sabbath for me. When I live the way he tells me to, I'm simply operating in the most optimal, efficient way. The day of rest gives me more energy, focus and ability. If you change your oil according to the manufacturer's specs, your car works better."
P. 15 "Compare sabbath keeping to tithing, observing that when people give away 10% of their income in obedience to God, their finances just work out better."
P. 17 "The sabbath is one of those gospel duties that absolutely convinces us of the goodness of God. The more we practice it, the greater a privilege it becomes, the more essential it feels, the deeper it connects us to the river of life that provides fruit in all seasons."
P. 28 "The rhythm of six days of work and one day of rest enables us to experience profound truths about God and about ourselves--our necessity and our insignificance. If we stay in work mode all the time, or even if we rest all of the time, our heart-based, experiential understanding of these truths will be flawed."
P. 35 "If we refuse to rest until we are finished, we will never rest until we die. Sabbath dissolves the artificial urgency of our days, because it liberates us from the need to be finished."
P. 40 Jewish tradition emphasizes the difference between the words remember and observe. Sunday-Tuesday are to remember the words and lessons of the previous Sabbath, and Wed-Saturday are to prepare ourselves in joyful expectation for the next Sabbath.
P. 55 "Rest on the Sabbath as if all your work were done... Rest even from the thought of labor."
P. 58 "One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is a day each week free from this compulsion to multitask."
P. 80 "Part of sabbath rest is leaning dependency on God. It's the only form of dependency that works."
P. 82 "One of the joys of being outside on the sabbath is the flat-out fun of using our bodies and being in the fresh air, both of them created by God and given to us to enjoy."
P. 84 Three questions to determine whether an activity is suitable:
1. Does it promote rest and/or relaxation?
2. Does it bring delight and enjoyment?
3. Does it give you a sense of holiness and sanctity? In other words, does it add to your sense of Sabbath?
P. 90 "God created the sabbath as a day of rest for us, and I think we need to honor that no matter how crazy our lives are." "Life is about gift, embracing and receiving God's gifts. God may want us to be inefficient sometimes in order for us to receive his gifts more fully."
P. 94 "In the Bible, time moves forward because God is bringing about his kingdom. When we embrace the Bible's view, we learn to watch eagerly for what God is doing rather than to focus obsessively on what we are doing. In order to watch for God's work, we need to stop long enough to notice it. A rhythm allowing time for rest is essential to perceiving the forward movement of time toward God's fulfillment of all things."
P. 122 5 words to describe what happens on the sabbath: rest, refreshment, receptivity, release and refocusing.
P 125 "The sabbath teaches grace in a deep, experiential way. Perhaps more than anything else, in our time we need grace. We need to rest in the reality that our lives do not originate with us, that all love comes to us as a gift and that God's grace surrounds and fills us. God's love and favor come to us not because we deserve them but because of who God is."

[Ann Gemmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was required reading for a program I am in on spiritual formation. One of the best books I have ever read on sabbath keeping. Both challenging and also accessible and realistic. Was reminded again of the true gift of Sabbath, our creator has given us, but which we often ignore to our detriment and missing out. But the author is so strong in equipping her readers for the intentionality that is required to practice the gift of sabbath.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This succinct but potent guide to sabbath keeping is as full or practical considerations as it is grace. I highly recommend this for any Christian who wishes to establish a realistic yet countercultural practice of the sabbath.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely something to think about...

[Kristen Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read looking at OT and NT, steps that can be taken in our society and the gift of Sabbath. Hopeful to shift aspects of my week to embrace this discipline more fully.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical with lots of interesting ways to discover the joys of Sabbath. Baab is careful not to prescribe any specific practices or rules but instead provides a whole list of activities to try, or to cease from, on the Sabbath. She recommends picking two or three and trying them for three to six months to see how it fits the individual. This would be a great companion to a book which dives deeper into the theology of the Sabbath and would make a good study for a small group or book club.

"With all the money in the world, and no time, we have nothing at all." Wayne Muller, “Sabbath”

[Eliana]

This was aggravatingly repetitive and I admittedly skimmed most of it. But I appreciated the chance to reflect as I prepare for another school year with (hopefully) a consistent, weekly sabbath. We'll see how the whole on-call 24/7 for work thing adjusts to that...

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been interested in the sabbath and wondering how to incorporate into my life.
This book is a wealth of information. The chapters are short with questions to answer at the end of each chapter and a prayer.

The book begins with the author's thrust into sabbath keeping when she moves to Israel. She talks about her experience with sabbath keeping while living in Israel. She then recounts how the return to the United States disrupted this restful time.

A history, meaning, and keeping of sabbath is written about in the book. The dilemma of sabbath keeping is it only for Jews and how does it relate to Christians is also discussed.

The book has eight chapters and would make a wonderful study for a home-group. The book has plenty of real life examples that gives one ideas of how to start keeping this discipline.

The author leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not to keep the sabbath in the true sense of making it a day of rest. She also encourages every one to try keeping a sabbath for a short period of time.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuine, thoughtful, but not over-the-head contemplative! This book grasps hold of views on relative Sabbath keeping, and affirms or challenges the reader's own concepts. Rather than becoming downtrodden or even convicting, Baab brings forth a desire to also practice the REST given to man by their maker. The author rather humanely disposes of typical arguments (legalism, Christ's death disposing of the need, etc.) and hands readers almost an inert need to take a fellow deep breath, and join in her peace. The American culture is recognized for being one that opposes God's methods for rest, one that favors business and chaos over peace and internal reflection. Baab reflects on her time celebrating relationship with God and calming her days while in other countries, and the pull from both her personal recollections and ties to scripture are eye-opening. It's a brilliantly small book with an abundance of wisdom, I recommend it to every Christian that seeks to better understand both WHAT a Sabbath looks like and how it could be practiced.

[Phil Whittall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sabbath keeping can sound legalistic or anachronistic but in a 24/7 world that burns out as much as it blesses, rhythms of rest make a lot of sense. Baab's book is primarily focused on the rest. It explores practical, thoughtful ways about why we shouldn't work and what we can do instead. As such this is a gentle, helpful book.

It was a little too 'me' centred for my liking. Sabbath being entirely about my need to rest because I'm out of balance the rest of the week. In essence it's focus was on our need and how to guard and protect that need. It didn't quite do enough to capture a bigger, grander more positive vision of what Sabbath is for - to celebrate, feast, connect. In other words a Sabbath is sacred space to love God and love our neighbour. A 1 in 7 chance not to be missed.

If you are tired and weary and in need of regular rhythms of rest, this is a reasonable place to start.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introductory discussion of the Sabbath for modern Christians. I appreciated the discussion of rhythms of rest, but many of the examples felt impossible for people without the privilege to take a day off during the week (as the author herself does, since Sunday is a busy day for her) or take an entire day away from anything that makes you feel stressed. Baab made a sincere effort to offer alternatives for people in various stages of life, suggesting things like taking only a portion of a day, finding ways to participate in Sabbath rest with your children, or choosing a specific action to rest from (like technology or cooking). Still, I wish there had been more theological underpinning and fewer stories.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concise, gentle-yet-challenging, and simple-but-not-simplistic. This very accessible book approaches the concept of 'sabbath' without making any assumptions about the reader's background with religion, practice, or general busy-ness. Baab wisely responds to the typical arguments (legalism, practicality) with a gracious tone and puts forward a compelling case for rhythms of rest. Part of what makes her argument so compelling is her clear diagnosis of the ways American culture has trained us to find our worth in our productivity. For anyone looking for a clear, sensible, approachable argument for continued Sabbath-rest today, this is an easy recommendation.

[Kaci Brown Bellenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the Sabbath and a little bit about how another culture fully embraces this and how in America we have to be countercultural to honor the Sabbath.
This book isn't a "how to" book on what to do, how to do it and what not to do on the Sabbath, yet it guides you through some ideas and the meaning behind why it's important. Plus, the meanings behind why some of us have been holding back from honoring it for so long. Worth a read if you are interested in learning more as it's a quick read.

[Bonnie Coutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you struggle with balancing the constant business of life like I do this book insight into creating a day of rest without being legalistic. So many weeks are so busy there is no downtime and we get weary and cranky and emotional. God did not tell us to keep the Sabbath because he wants to burden us down with one more thing that we can't live up to. He gave us the Sabbath to rest our body and soul and draw closer to him. I need to rest, how about you?

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We are invited to enter God's rest as an acknowledgment of his abundance; our rest indicates that we depend completely on the God who created and sustains us.”

Loan from a friend; timing was impeccable. A deep call for rhythms of true rest not out of legalism or obligation but in taking hold of the grace and peace offered by our good Father, letting go of our responsibilities and actively entrusting them into His hands. Much food for thought!!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on sabbath keeping. Best part of the book was her challenge to be counter cultural. We live in a busy culture. What if our community was different. We did rest and showed people the gift of sabbath. The author has great experiences living in sabbath keeping cultures and shares that wisdom with a non sabbath culture in very practical ways.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the theological and practical look at Sabbath keeping.

Highlight-
Looking at both Sabbath commands to understand both the humility and freedom bound up in the practice.

Lowlight-
I was really hoping for more practical stories and ideas for doing it individually rather than one very small section of "try to get someone to do it with you."

[Jess Debanné · Rating 4 out of 5]

this read as a brief yet complete introduction to the practice of sabbath. i wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to someone who has read much about sabbath observance already, nor someone who is very theologically literate/minded. it really is more practical, and designed for those who want an approachable overview of the value of a sabbath rhythm. it’s full of testimonies, nods to many other writers/thinkers…and painted a compelling picture of this beautiful practice.

[Amber Wessies Owrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baab's perspective on Sabbath comes from her time spent in Israel, where everyone observes the Sabbath. She continues the practice in the United States and shares her wisdom about the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a time to stop, not a time to add more rules to try to be more perfect. The Sabbath is meant to be experienced and to foster a relationship with God.

[Emma Diez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful when it comes to understanding the concept and importance of the Sabbath from a Christian perspective. It has reflection questions at the end of every chapter, so it's also a great book for reading with a group of other believers.

[Will Haussler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little book! A practical, scriptural, Gospel infused, and so very non legalistic guide to Sabbath. Addresses a lot of common questions and objections to Sabbath. It was super enjoyable to read as I was constantly being reminded of one of God’s great gifts.

[Jon Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but impactful. Baab explores the ideas behind the practice of Sabbath and the practical application. Her expertise comes from a long history of personal practice which added gravitas to her ideas.

[Kim Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introductory book about the Sabbath written by a Christian while living in Israel. It’s about slowing down from the frantic pace of life to really focus on God, to pray, and to worship.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changer. I loved going through this book with my Bible study - my life has a renewed rhythm and connection with God's presence, love and peace.

[April Bricco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and inspirational!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only part way through this right now, but this is the book on the Sabbath I have been looking for. Theologically grounded, but very human. Includes questions for me to reflect on.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book on the sabbath and what to do on it! It was useful to me in figuring out my plans on how to sabbath and good rhythms for it

[Lori Neff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Sabbath practice.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one. Some inspiring ideas to try for Sabbath practice