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Sabbath (The Ancient Practices Series)

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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.

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.

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.

I am a 30-something, Christian, married guy with two young children and a bizarre work schedule. I bought this book looking for clear, Biblical analysis and practical ideas for observing Sabbath with my family.

Unfortunately, this book was NOT what I sought or expected. Allender writes almost in stream of consciousness, producing a rambling, incoherent mix of personal anecdotes, psychological insights, and his own philosophy. When he does refer to Scripture, which I assumed would be the basis of the book since Sabbath is a Biblical concept, he merely makes a passing reference that sometimes doesn't even support the point he is trying to make.

My small group went through this book together, and by the halfway point we all disliked it. I found myself rereading paragraphs trying to figure out their point and struggling to dig up topics for group discussion.

In one representative quote, Allender asks, "What would I do for a twenty-four hour period of time if the only criteria was to pursue my deepest joy?"

Is being joyful on Sabbath wrong? Absolutely not! But nearly every reference to Sabbath throughout the Bible connects it not to delight, as Allender argues, but to rest - the ceasing of work. Instead of exploring that concept (how did the Israelites practice Sabbath? How can a mother of young children cease her work? How can we break out of our relentless schedules and force ourselves to obey God's command to rest?), Allender invents four "pillars" of Sabbath : Sensual Glory, Holy Time, Communal Feast, and Play Day. Yes, the contents of those four chapters are just as abstract as their names. His vision of Sabbath, although hard to define from the text because he refuses to spell it out clearly, seems to involve large amounts of planning in the days before, lots of loved ones, expensive food and wine (cheap stuff isn't good enough for him), and emotional conversation. I'm glad that works for him, but that doesn't sound like the Sabbath I want to experience every week.

Frustrated and disappointed, I searched for a more helpful book on Sabbath and found Mark Buchanan's excellent The Rest of God. Some of his ideas are similar to Allender's, but Buchanan does a much better job of basing his arguments on Scripture and conveying his points clearly.

This book did not provide the Biblical and historical review of the Sabbath that I was hoping to find. The introduction of the book was exciting and thought-provoking, "We admire busyness, speed, and productivity, yet we envy those whose leisure time is abundant" (p. 6) and "Sabbath is not an option; it is a commandment" (p. 6); however, the chapters that followed lacked the foundational review of Biblical and non-Biblical sources that would add credibility. Unfortunately, to a large extent the book seems to contain, primarily, the author's opinions and personal experiences.

The author shares very interesting views on this day. For example, how the Sabbath is the day "... when the kingdom to come has come and is celebrated now rather than anticipated tomorrow" (p. 12); unfortunately, the credibility of those interpretations is affected by the lack of sources to back them up.
I was looking forward to this book since the Sabbath and its implications to today's Christians have been topics that I don't fully understand; however, other than providing a few ideas to consider, this book did not help me solidify my path forward in relation to the Sabbath. I was hoping to learn more about Jesus and the Sabbath, the role of the Sabbath in early Christianity, and contemporary views by Christian scholars.

Dan Allender loves the Sabbath. That much is clear. I appreciate this. As one who does not observe Sabbath faithfully (at times I engage in outright rebellion), Allender's love for this ancient practice kindled my own. The Ancient Practices Series has had that tendency, as on the whole I have greatly enjoyed these volumes.

Within this installment Dan Allender writes in clear, enjoyable prose concerning the practice of Sabbath. I devoured this book in a couple of days, and after I had put it down, I was eager to return. With three clear divisions (Sabbath Pillars, Purpose, and Performance), the reader is shown theological and biblical foundations for Sabbath observance, the reasons this practice has been given, and how this day can be most deeply enjoyed. Throughout his book, Allender quite thankfully avoids a bland description of Sabbath, and instead opts for the language of pure delight, play, and abundance. Allender also avoids legalistic prescriptions, and rather inspires the imagination for how Sabbath might be engaged with the totality of one's being.

Despite the fact that I read this book quickly, and on the whole found it enjoyable, I did find it lacking in a couple of ways. First, this book did refer to the biblical foundations for Sabbath practice, most notably the fourth commandment. But as has been true of more than one volume of The Ancient Practices Series, I found the level of engagement with Scripture lacking. What significance did Sabbath practice have for the people of Israel? And, for those in the Christian community, in what way did Jesus challenge Sabbath practices and open up new possibilities for Sabbath observance among those called as his disciples? Such questions deserve attention, for the Scriptures serve as a foundational and critical narrative for the establishment of these practices in the life of the Christian person.

As another critical observation, it was quite clear that Allender made a choice to avoid discussion of the Sabbath that focused too heavily on our need for rest in a world addicted to work, hurry, and busyness, a move that took something away from the overall value of this volume. Though teachings on Sabbath commonly take this angle, the value in stressing rest as a gift to be received as part of our life rhythm clearly remains, and all signs within American culture (and perhaps others, but I speak from my location) tell us this lesson has yet to be learned. Allender does nod in this direction, but does not treat this aspect of Sabbath fully enough.

Simply because Allender's love of Sabbath is contagious, I would recommend this book. The shortcomings I have noted do not outweigh the potential benefits this book could bring. Allender describes this practice as something to be cherished, and I believe that his description, in many ways, provides an uncommon lens through which to see God's good world that includes his gift of Sabbath.

Given my own Sabbatarian beliefs, I was intrigued to read Sabbath by Dan Allender. It is not something that is discussed regularly in broadly evangelical circles, so seeing it from a broadly evangelical publisher and a broadly evangelical author made me curious.

There is some that is commendable in the book. Allender illustrates in practical ways why a Sabbath is helpful, he unequivocally argues that the Sabbath is a command to be obeyed, and he gets at the root of why many people do not observe the Sabbath in any form. Further, he emphasizes helpfully that the Sabbath is supposed to be a delight, not a hindrance. Too often we view any sort of restriction on the things we want to do as a bad thing, but in this case, in can be a healthy and wonderful thing.

Nonetheless, I cannot recommend this book for several reasons. First, he rarely lets the Scriptures speak in order to determine what the Sabbath is or how it is to be used. Most of it is practical reflections on the Sabbath-some helpful, some not-with precious little biblical interaction. Other than a brief mention of Matthew 12, he does not address the New Testament's teaching on the Sabbath at all (Hebrews 4, Colossians 2, Romans 14).

Secondly, his presentation is quite out of tune with church history. There is a rich reflection on the Sabbath in the Reformed tradition, and he does not even attempt to interact with it. And this leads to the third problem.

Thirdly, in his eagerness to show how the Sabbath is a delight, he puts emphasis in a misguided direction. His summary of the delight of the Sabbath covers four areas: (1) "sensual glory," (2) "rhythmic repetition," (3) "communal feasting," and (4) "just playfulness" (31). Neither Scripture nor church history quite puts the Sabbath in such a perspective. Glorying in God's creation, having family rituals, enjoying meals together, and having fun through playing together can all be good, God-honoring things. They're just not what Scripture uses to describe the Sabbath. Scripture presents it as a rest from work to both physical and spiritual rest. Thus while Allender de-emphasizes the role of corporate worship on the Sabbath, Scripture seems to put a high priority on that as a means of spiritual rest.

Thus while I am happy that some evangelicals are reconsidering the beauty of the Sabbath, I also wish that in so doing, they would connect it with Scripture rather than just personal touches for having a delightful day.

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."

This is the third book in the series called "The Ancient Christian Practices" that I have read. And to be honest, if I had not agreed to read and then review this book, I would not have finished it. While the books on fasting and praying the hours were insightful and helpful, this book did not offer much laudable.

The book essentially says that this author believes that Sabbath is a day to delight in the goodness of God's creation. And so then the rest of the book speaks of how to craft a day doing whatever brings you delight. Let's say this, Luther's explanation of the third commandment could find no support here. The only talk of the Word is the suggestion that God speaks outside his Word and we ought to be into the quiet places and listen. Yes go outside, delight in it, and God may speak to you there. That is the summary of this book.

For a book about Ancient Christian practices, it is completely devoid of any talk of historic Sabbath practices or thinking. It is also nearly devoid of scriptural reflection. It is just a book that mentions an ancient practice and then defines it based on a assumption about the first Sabbath not supported by anything: that the Sabbath is just about delighting in creation. He constantly suggest that rest is not really important, although every Sabbath passage is the bible argues against this.

I cannot recommend this book.

I've been reading a lot on the Sabbath lately and this book by Dan Allender was a good addition to my library. The author presents excellent research on the history of Sabbath keeping as well discussing modern day practices. He uses personal stories, giving many life applications on celebrating the Sabbath. It was definitely worth the read.

Mystical poets who enjoy attempting to express the inexpressible may find working through Allender's "Sabbath" a productive exercise, but those looking for a practical, rational discourse on how to honor the Sabbath Day will find themselves banging their heads in frustration. I know I did.

It's clear that Allender has experienced an otherworldly delight in his own celebration of the Sabbath; unfortunately, like many mystics of old, his attempts at sharing that experience fall flat. First, there is a language barrier. Poetical prose as a literary device can work, but like straight poetry it takes effort to make out the sense, and even then you're not sure you've got it right. When you're expecting an informative book, the attempt at poetic language quickly becomes annoying.

Second, Allender appears to inhabit a different world from me. When he diagnoses a problem, and recommends a cure, he loses me at the first step. How can I trust his cure when he seems to be describing a different patient?

Finally, he persists in using the term "sensual" when his meaning would be better served by "sensuous." I'll admit I'm nitpicking, but he uses the word so frequently that it presents a significant distraction.

"Sabbath" is not without merit, and what were stumbling blocks for me may be stepping stones for others. Even I found some worthwhile ideas, especially the question with which I am still wrestling, "What do I find delightful, and why?"

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.