Sabbath by Dan B. Allender

We have all read in the Bible that we are to keep the Sabbath holy. However, in today’s busy and often consumer driven world, it is hard to practice that commandment. At least for me it is. What is acceptable to do on the Sabbath (can we buy gas or eat at a restaurant?), what is not acceptable? I decided to pick up Dan B. Allender’s Sabbath in The Ancient Practices Series to learn a little bit more.

Sabbath took a very spiritually philosophic view of the practice of the Sabbath. Allender didn’t say what specifically we should or shouldn’t do, as long as we were celebrating the holiness of the day that the Lord gave us to celebrate in Him. Allender talks about the Sabbath as being a day the Lord gave us to marvel in His gift of Creation to us, to play, to glory in Him, and that it is a holy time. Allender suggested that going to church shouldn’t be our only celebration of worship on the Sabbath, but that we should use the Sabbath to fellowship, to learn, to be creative, to play with the Lord. His expansion of all of these points and more was very philosophical, although he did give practical examples: such as holding a feast or a exquisitely prepared meal that is much higher in quality (and perhaps price to the point of sacrifice) from what you might normally serve during the week.

I did enjoy the book, although I often felt as if I was reading philosophy rooted in Christian spirituality than anything else. The author did make me think about how I celebrate the Sabbath, which usually entails a lack of housework and not much else, and how I would like to celebrate the Holy Day that the Lord gave us. The idea of rest in my mind was broadened to mean more than just the literal sense of the word – that rest can be taken in doing something that we enjoy, that gives rest to our mind or soothes our soul. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to think outside the box about what the Sabbath means and how we can enjoy and celebrate the Sabbath.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”