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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Much Food for Thought, April 20, 2009
This review is from: Sabbath (The Ancient Practices Series) (Hardcover)
What would you do with a day dedicated to delight? That is the question that Dan B. Allender poses in "Sabbath," one of the books in the "Ancient Practices Series" edited by Phyllis Tickle and published by Thomas Nelson. Allender's take on the Sabbath is unique. While other books on keeping the Sabbath tend to focus on dedicating the day to God or resting from work, Allender expands on that, stating that "the Sabbath is a day of delight for humankind, animals, and the earth; it is not merely a pious day and it is not fundamentally a break, a day off, or a twenty-four hour vacation. The Sabbath is a feast day that remembers our leisure in Eden and anticipates our play in the new heavens and earth with family, friends, and strangers for the sake of the glory of God."
Allender acknowledges that it is difficult to dedicate one day to experiencing joy and beauty and delight. It might be hard to dedicate one day in a lifetime to that, much less one day each week! Yet, Allender invites us to make a concerted effort to do so. Allender examines how we treat time in this over-stressed twenty-first century world and encourages us to take a second look at the value of taking that weekly Sabbath to sanctify time. He also discusses the value of feasting and of play. It will take some preparation on the other days of the week, but we need to open our hearts to the gift of the Sabbath.
One chapter that was very insightful was "Sabbath Play: Despair Surrenders to Joy." Allender explores what it means to regret and despair. "Both regret and worry assume there is no God, or at least not one who loves and pours himself out for his children. . . Despair shows itself in cynicism, conventionality, and consumerism." Sabbath invites us to set those feelings aside. Gratitude and joy are to be the dominant emotions of Sabbath.
The only criticism of this book is that Allender didn't seem to place much value on attending religious services on Saturday or Sunday. My sense is that he tried to make this book accessible to all people of faith, even those who consider themselves to be "spiritual but not religious." Overall, however, Allender offers considerable food for thought.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointment, January 10, 2010
This review is from: Sabbath (The Ancient Practices Series) (Hardcover)
Dan Allender is a noted evangelical psychologist and, true to form, this book contains some powerful psychological insights. "Whomever we envy will become an enemy; what they possess becomes an addition." (p. 121.) "Grief is similar to vomiting. At its deepest convulsion it exhausts, nauseates, and relieves." (p. 171.) But notice that these insights have nothing to do with the Sabbath. We envy all seven days a week. We grieve all seven days a week.
I didn't purchase this book looking for psychological insights. I purchased this book to help penetrate the enigma of the Sabbath. Unfortunately, Dr. Allender misses the mark. The publisher promotes the Ancient Practices series as designed for those who "are beginning to explore traditional spiritual disciplines used for centuries." However, Dr. Allender doesn't mention any ancient practices at all throughout the book. He does occasionally mention Jewish practices (presumably modern) and he does occasionally cite Biblical references. However, I got the impression that he does so to support the points that he wants to make rather than to learn from either the practices or from the Bible.
Judging from the frequent references such as "As I was writing...", this book seems to be more a stream of consciousness than deep research and insight into the topic at hand - the Sabbath. I wonder what Dr. Allender's frequent collaborator, Dr. Tremper Longman, would say about the Sabbath.
On the other hand, Dr. Allender writes with a lucid, enjoyable prose style.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Start Your Sabbath...., February 25, 2009
This review is from: Sabbath (The Ancient Practices Series) (Hardcover)
Remembering the Sabbath is probably the most ignored commandment, and therefore one of the most misunderstood. Dan Allender tries to remedy that in his book Sabbath, part of the Ancient Practices Series. It is a simple study of a practice that God instituted at the beginning of time.
Allender begins the book by describing the pillars of Sabbath--sensual glory, holy time, communal feast, and play day. He is careful to define what Sabbath is not, and warns not to drift into legalism when practicing Sabbath. He then moves into the purpose of Sabbath, which is mostly play. Allender's main point is the restoration that Sabbath brings. To illustrate, I'll use chapter names: "Division Surrenders to Shalom," "Destitution Surrenders to Abundance," and "Despair Surrenders to Joy." The final portion of the book is dedicated to the actual practice of Sabbath. Allender gives some of his own Sabbath rituals as an example, as well as sprinkling in stories of others and quotes from various church fathers.
The prose that Allender uses is whimsical and light, yet somehow sacred. The sentences wind their way across the page, describing sensual details of life that most authors overlook or just leave out. There are times when Allender gets a little too poetic and loses track of his point, but for the most part he stays on topic, making the book an enjoyable read. This book isn't for people who enjoy formulaic chapters and plans. This title describes the Sabbath with care and purpose, and that's the best you can ask from a book.
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