a recent observation that i don't know how to "sabbath" has brought me to the book by the same name, by dan allender, president and founder of mars hill graduate school. allender's book is not so much a "how-to" but musings on the meaning and act of sabbath. he's poignant, deep and defines sabbath with beautiful words i've never considered before.
"Instead, we must ask, what beauty will you explore and get lost in during this day of celebration? What beauty will open your eyes to the questions God wants you to ponder in order to increase your awe and gratitude?
The Sabbath is the day to experiment with beauty that teases your hunger to know more glory. It is a day of study and silence on one Sabbath, a cutting out of a new kite pattern to fly on a wild breezy Sabbath another... What intrigues, amazes, tickles your fancy, delights your senses, and casts you into an entirely new and unlimited world is the raw material of Sabbath." (pg 46-47)
and then, on the role of time:
"Sabbath demands that we look at time from a different perspective than a linear, sequential, progressive process. The most commonly held view of time in the Western world was developed by Augustine. In his highly subjective view of time, the present doesn't exist - there is only the past and future. The past is entered by memory and is spent, gone and mostly regretted. The future cannot be known or remembered, therefore its uncertainty causes us worry. Time, for Augustine, is not a matter of joy; it is wearisome and hard." (pg 56-57)
awesomeness so far. i'm trying to take a little at a time so i can mull over the ideas. thanks for your insights,
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