Book Description
Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication-and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the idea of an "architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time Judaism, he argues, is a religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the material things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals."
Customer Reviews:
Approachable Philosophy.......2007-06-03
Heschel wrote this book for us all. His metaphorical descriptions of the Holy Day are vivid and tangible. This book is more entry level than others he has written. Though most of his philosophy is comprehensible, in this book he allowed his readers to relish the simple harmony of the weekly convocation. A wonderful read. I have given away several copies to friends.
Seventh Day Sabbath Goldmine.......2007-04-25
As a practicing Bible believer I have no choice but to agree with the thesis of this book and that is God has gifted us with the Seventh Day Sabbath (day of rest). What makes this book even better is the rich insight and poetical writing style describing the benefits of the Sabbath rest being observed [e.g. Sabbath is a sanctuary etc.]. Intelligent, thoughtful reading, it's rich contents will take time to digest and think through. I believe this is the lifetime work of the Jewish author. But at 100 pages it is one of a kind and in a class of it's own [if you want a longer treatment check out History Of The Sabbath And The First Day Of The Week Showing The Bible Record Of The Sabbath. If you only have one book on the Sabbath (other than your Bible) this will keep you informed and thinking.
the Sabbath.......2007-01-04
This is a thoughtfully written reflection on the meaning of the Sabbath that is appropriate for both Christians and Jews. The book is wonderful for spiritual reading and reflection. It adds depth and meaning to our worship and praise of God. Written by a deeply spiritual man the Sabbath is a great resouce for anyone who wants to deepen and expand their relationship with God.
Breathtaking.......2006-02-26
The Sabbath is an awesome book to read for both Jews and Christians alike. Heschel's discussion of time, space and posessions is inspiring, and transforming. As a Christian, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and found it to be a very enlightening description of Jewish heritage. It challenged me to think about what time I observe with God, and for what reasons; what are my priorities; and how effective am I in living out my faith.
The most beautiful book of all time.......2006-01-09
The wisdom contained in this book is incredible. It is a must read for all people who think our society is too focused on materialistic achievement. Heschel's call for a day of rest is desperately needed. My favorite book.
Customer Reviews:
Good book with some very interesting content........2007-09-10
Off The Rails is Rudy Sarzo's offering about his life with Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard Of Ozz band that toured in 1981 and 1982. The guitarist in this band (Randy Rhoads) is the primary focus of the story telling, and that is a real gift for all fans of his short life. At times, this book is impossible to put down. Rudy does a good job explaining the mundane life of a traveling musician mixed with the excitement of playing with such a prolific musician as Rhoads. Any info regarding the short life of Randy Rhoads is interesting , but at times, the stories are very compelling. The chapters about the live album, Ozzy's abuse towards Sharon, and Randy's final days, are all right up there with The Dirt, and many other great books that humanize these icons. Good job Rudy Sarzo.
A great look at the Blizzard.......2007-07-06
Hats off to Rudy for putting this together for those interested in the Blizzard of Ozz years and especially Randy Rhoads. Well worth a read if you are a fan.
awesome.......2007-06-27
Great book for any fan of Randy Rhoads. It's great, after all of these years, to hear stories about my hero. Randy made me want to play guitar, and this book means so much to me. Rudy is a great story teller. By the end of the book you'll feel like you knew Randy too, which hurts because we all know how the story ends.
rudy sarzo's book: excelent reading! buy it!.......2007-06-26
i really enjoyed reading rudy's book,it almost reads like a diary. lots of insight into what was happening and going on during that time period. it's really a "must read" for any ozzy,rudy,brad gillis,randy rhoads and quiet riot fans. very informative and hard to put down once you start reading it! i'm very glad that i bought it and so too will you! jimmy cupo
GREAT.......2007-06-14
This book is a must read for any Randy fan. Rudy did an amazing job writing this book. At times you feel like your at the concerts with them. Rudy goes into great detail about day to day tour life, which is realy amazing. Rudy GREAT job.. now you need to write a Quiet Riot book!!!!
Book Description
In today's world, with its relentless emphasis on success and productivity, we have lost the necessary rhythm of life, the balance between work and rest. Constantly striving, we feel exhausted and deprived in the midst of great abundance. We long for time with friends and family, we long for a moment to ourselves.
Millennia ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time within a life of unceasing labor. Now, in a book that can heal our harried lives, Wayne Muller, author of the spiritual classic
How, Then, Shall We Live?, shows us how to create a special time of rest, delight, and renewal--a refuge for our souls.
We need not even schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a Sabbath afternoon, a Sabbath hour, a Sabbath walk. With wonderful stories, poems, and suggestions for practice, Muller teaches us how we can use this time of sacred rest to refresh our bodies and minds, restore our creativity, and regain our birthright of inner happiness.
Customer Reviews:
Sabbath.......2007-10-02
This is a fabulous book. It gave me new insight into why Sabbath (rest) time is so important. It fed me with information that motivated me to change a few things in my life. Wayne Muller is a wonderful author who is interesting and inspiring.
Nourishment for the human spirit, using rest to return to delight.......2006-09-03
This book arrived yesterday, and I stayed up late reading it last night and this morning. I could hardly put it down. Many of the thoughts hit me as so profound, that I had to pause to think before I could continue reading.
"In the relentless busyness of modern life, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest. All life requires a rhythm of rest." (p. 1) "When we live without listening to the timing of things -- when we live and work in twenty-four-hour shifts without rest -- we are on war time, mobilized for battle. Yes, we are strong and capable people, we can work without stopping, faster and faster, electric lights making artificial day so the whole machine can labor without ceasing. But remember: NO LIVING THING LIVES LIKE THIS." (p. 69)
The book highlights the benefits of rest for our spirit, our bodies, our relationships -- as well as gives reasons why people don't rest. We feel that more work is better, we are afraid of what we will hear in the silences if we pause, we think we have more to give if we toil on without rest (when the opposite is often true, that rest breaks leave us with more to contribute). The book is also full of simple stories of people who have found themselves after rest, and simple thought-provoking poems. Muller also devotes some thoughts to simple play; and yes, even adults should play.
This book left me thinking of all that being an adult professional can cost the human spirit. Some of my own happiest memories are of being a child, sprawled on the grass on a hot summer afternoon, and staring up at the white clouds against a blue sky and finding shapes in the clouds. When do we ever do this, as a modern society? Simply pause, and spend a day doing nothing but play and rest?
Muller gives us some strong reasons to pause, to resort our values, to treasure our relationships and our bodies and spirits, and to go out again with more to offer our world.
Not the TRUE meaning of the Sabbath.......2006-02-21
While this book gives practical examples of how to rest and find renewal by observing the Sabbath, it does not touch the true meaning of the Sabbath. As another reviewer mentioned, the value of this book was highly diminished for me when the author failed to emphasize the singly Judeo-Christian roots and values of the Sabbath. Instead, Muller takes a worldly approach to the psychology and therapy of observing the Sabbath and reflecting on life.
This is the third book on the Sabbath that I have read, and it has by far been the least enlightening on truly why God has called us to rest and keep the Sabbath holy. While Muller's tips are helpful, I found similar ideas in a better book, "Keeping the Sabbath Wholly" by Marva Dawn (and she still preserved the deep & holy meaning of the Sabbath).
Instead of Muller's book, I would highly recommend reading "Keeping the Sabbath Wholly" by Marva J. Dawn.
Slow Down.......2005-11-22
This book is a exploration into the concept of "Sabbath" and its importance in world religions. Muller describes Sabbath rituals in the Jewish faith and discusses scriptural references to the Sabbath (from Christian and Buddhist, as well as Jewish texts), especially those concerning why it is celebrated at all. He argues that we all need time set aside as a Sabbath for rest, happiness, and consecration. He embellishes the text with poems and stories about the Sabbath practices of friends. Many of the chapters close with a "Practice" section, in which Muller describes actions you can take to put the ideas from the chapter into practice.
In an early chapter, Muller declares that all religions have some form of Sabbath. This didn't quite sound correct to me-while Muslims often gather in a mosque together for Friday noon prayers, the day is otherwise unlike a Judeo-Christian Sabbath, since there is no feeling that worshipers should refrain from work or commerce on that day. And Buddhists and Hindus certainly don't have a regular day set aside each week for religious observance and rest. But Muller goes on to explain that he is taking the term "Sabbath" to mean a time set aside from ordinary worldly pursuits, and that in a more general sense "Sabbath" need not refer to an entire day, but could be just a few minutes in which the mind is engaged in meditation, prayer or devotion. By this measure, the five daily Muslim prayers, Buddhist meditation, and Hindu pujas would all qualify as Sabbath time. Muller argues that such time is necessary to appreciate fully our capabilities as caring people.
Reading this book has opened my eyes to new ways of celebrating the Sabbath. Muller argues that the most vital activity to engage in on the Sabbath is not necessarily attending church, but rather, pausing all ordinary activities to contemplate the Divine or Life itself. He notes that feeding, dressing, and escorting family members to a church service, then struggling to keep them quiet during the service is not necessarily in keeping with the intention of rest and meditation. And he describes ministers who, since they must work on Sundays, keep their own Sabbath on a different day of the week. He explains how important it is to have time alone, when one doesn't need to provide or others or even interact with them, so that one can better concentrate on devotional matters. Regardless of your faith, practicing the ideas described in this book can you help form a much stronger connection to the center of your being.
The goal of life is not to go faster!!!!.......2005-08-31
I really really liked his thoughts on the Sabbath and caused me to put this day into perspective for my life. Simply well written and thought out. A life changing book.
Customer Reviews:
Commendable, But Not Convincing.......2007-04-13
Well written and scholarly work, but just doesn't explain convincingly from a Biblical standpoint, or justify for that matter why Christians shouldn't still be worshiping on the seventh day. As with most writers in defense of Sunday as the Christian day of worship, too much dependence upon the "early fathers," and ignoring volumes of texts from the New Testament. Texts that most won't even admit exist in favor of continued Christian observance of the sabbath. As Christ often warned in the gospels, there would be false prophets and false doctrines coming, in an attempt to betray believers. Even during the days of the apostles, these things were already in evidence. 1 John 4:1. And if these things were already creeping into the Apostolic Age, then it's not too hard to believe there were many false practices by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th centuries, during the times of these "Church Fathers" often quoted by scholars. Some as if these non-Biblical figures were the final word on Christianity.
And herein lies my disappointment with this book's explainations. So I counter with these arguments for why I am not convinced to abstain from seventh day sabbath worship, in favor of the so called "Lord's day" Sunday.
Reason 1: The Ten Commandments
It seems everyone in Christiandom is concerned about the lack of their presence in public schools and government offices. But when a good old Seventh-day Adventist like myself discusses the observance of all of them, including the 4th concerning the seventh day sabbath found in Exodus 20: 8-11, we're told "the law was nailed to the cross," and instantly branded "legalists!" Read for yourself, God doesn't leave room for "one-day-in-seven," he specificly states "the seventh day" and then refers us back to the creation. That "one-day-in-seven" approach is very popular today, but doesn't have a "thus saith the Lord" to stand on. See Genesis 2:2-3. And James 2:2-3 and Ecclesiates 12:13-14 says we're even going to be judged by those very commandments in the end.
Reason 2: Jesus And His Attitude Towards The Sabbath
Many quote from John 5 and proclaim that a sinless Jesus actually broke all the requirements of the 4th commandment. And yes, it does state that he broke it, but in its context along with other Bible passages, He only broke the traditional burdens that the Jews had tacked on to God's requirements. Read John 5:5-18, then compare his true thinking of what the sabbath is suppose to be for mankind. A devine rest. Matthew 11:28-30 and 12:1-13. In His own words, "it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." Matthew 12:12. It was never God's purpose to make the sabbath a burden upon us. And being God the Son and Creator of all things, He was the very I Am in the Old Testament. 1 Corinthian 10:1-4, John 1:1-3 and Hebrews 1:1-2. In Luke 4:16 it was his "custom" not only to seek out worship on the sabbath, but also to participate in the worship service. And if that was His "custom" then, would it be any different if He were walking with us today? Where, and on what day would He seek to worship? Is He not the one mentioned in Hebrews 13:8 as "the same, yesterday, and to day, and forever."
Reason 3: The Disciples And New Testament Believers
Sunday keepers often quote Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:1, as final evidence that 1st century Christians like the apostle Paul and Luke, were already observing Sunday as a day of worship, along with Peter, James and John. But you have only mention of these days as, "the first day of the week." Nothing sacred but simply certain things taking place on that particular day. In Acts 20, Paul preached until it was dark, brother Eutychus fell asleep and fell from the window dead, and Paul was able to miraculously bring him back to life. Verses 8-12. And the fact that they broke bread has no significance either, seeing they did this on a daily basis, Acts 2:46. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 is "laying up in store" or literally at home in the Greek, on the 1st day of the week. A common work day in Biblical times. Paul was taking up collections for the poor, as in Romans 15:25-26, the poor saints in Jerusalem. He wanted the collections put aside at the beginning of the work week, after the sabbath, so gathering them would be orderly when he arrived. Anything else is reading into the text. No worship day mention whatsoever. And if you want to know how Paul really felt about which day was holy, read his own examples found in the book of Acts. In chapter 13:14-16 he was asked by the gentiles at Antioch to preach these things to them on the "next sabbath." Why not Sunday the following day? After all, these weren't Jews. But he waited till the following sabbath to give them the gospel. See verses 42-47 for a real eye opener. Has your Sunday keeping minister ever gone over these passages with you before? And Acts 11:26 tells us Antioch is where believers were first called Christians! Stunning coincidence or God's providence? For more of Paul's attitude on sabbath worship read chapters 17:1-5 and 18 verses 4 and 11. But going back to those who literally walked with Jesus and witnessed His crucifixion, we find in Luke 23:53-56 thru 24:1-3, they rested on the sabbath "according to the commandment." Didn't Jesus tell them of the change in days of worship before His crucifixion? Where? Passage and verse please.
Reason 4: The Claim That Revelation 1:10 refers to Sunday(The Lord's Day)
But where does John ever mention the day he's refering to? Once again, reading into the text something the rest of the Bible is silent on. But God does have a lot to say about which day He considers His. Remember in Matthew 12:8 Jesus said He was "Lord of the sabbath," so He had the perfect right to say what was good for that day. He was the one resting on and blessing it back in Genesis. John 1:1-3, Hebrew 1:1-2. And since He stated back in John 5 that He and His Father were "one," something the Jews wanted to stone Him for, He is also the one speaking of His(Lord's day) in Isaiah 58:12-14 and 56:1-7. Even pronouncing blessings upon those who were not Jews that keep the sabbath. And at creation, the Genesis account, there were no Jews yet. Was not Abraham the father of the Jews? But as born again believers, we are now spiritual Israelites and Abraham's Seed. See Galatians 3:27-29, Roman 2:26-29 and 3:28-31.
Reason 5: Confusion Over What Is The New Covenant
We are all in agreement that a covenant is an agreement, are we not? So what's the fuss about old and new? We all know that Christ is the vine and we are the branches. That without Him we can do nothing. See John 15:5. And that's what makes the difference between the old and new covenants. Christ living the life, doing His will through us and not we on our own. The new covenant doesn't nullify the Ten Commandments, his Grace fulfills the law through us. "I can do all things through Christ..." Philippians 4:13. In Exodus 19:3-8, where we find the first or old covenant being made, notice the children of Israel agreeing with God; "we will do." Keeping the law of God cannot be done through our own strength. God then writes out His moral law of Ten Commandments in chapter 20 of Exodus. Now read Hebrews 10:15-17 and you'll plainly see the new does not abolish the law of God, but He writes them on the heart. He comes in through the Holy Spirit, and changes the carnal nature. See Paul's delimma concerning keeping a holy law, and the solution in Romans 7:7,12 and 8:1-4. Notice it wasn't abolishing the keeping of the law, but having his carnal nature changed to a Spiritual one. It's called the rebirth. In Romans 7:7 Paul says the law is not sin, it tells us the definition of sin. Even naming the 10th "thou shall not covet" so there would be no doubt as to which law he's talking about. 1 John 3:4-6 goes even deeper saying "sin is the trangression of the law." Jesus came to save us from our "sins." In Sunday churches throughout the world, isn't it a goal to save lost sinners from their "sins" through the preaching of the Gospel? We don't keep the law to be saved, we can now keep it because we are saved. That is why so many misunderstand the words of James 2:26, "...faith without works is dead."
Reason 6: There Are Two Distinct Laws, One Moral The Other Ceremonial
And both laws even have sabbaths. God's eternal moral law of Ten Commandments includes the 4th in Exodus 20:8-11, the seventh day sabbath, a memorial to His creation. Take the time to read it. While the Mosaic or ceremonial considers all Jewish holy days, including Passover and The Day of Atonement as sabbaths, Leviticus 23. Read the entire chapter to get the full context of ceremonial sabbaths, which from year-to-year can fall on any day of the week. Another reason so many confuse what "sabbath days" were nailed to the cross in Colossians 2:16-17. Or the argument about the keeping of certain days, which Paul refered to as "doubtful disputations" in Romans 14. They were shadows of the true Lamb of God to come. Where as the seventh day sabbath existed after God made and blessed a perfect world, before sin and any need of shadows and blood sacrifices. Genesis 1:31-2:1-3. See also Hebrews 10:1. And one of the most important distinctions that most want to gloss over, is that God wrote the moral Ten Commandments on 2 tables of stone with His very own finger, as found in Exodus 31:17-18. The ceremonial law of Moses was written by Moses in a book or scrolls. Leviticus 31:24-26 and Joshua 8:31.
Reason 7: The Sabbath Will Be Kept In The New Heaven And Earth
Isaiah 66:23-24 tells us that from one new moon(or month), and from one sabbath to another "all flesh" will come to worship before God. Though some have even proposed that this text refers to the ceremonial law, due to the mention of "new moons," we know that a new moon represents the change of months. Something Revelation 22:2 mentions concerning new fruit appearing every month on the tree of life throughout eternity.
In conclusion, Is it any wonder God put the words "remember the sabbath day to keep it holy" right in the middle of the Ten, being all knowing, and foreseeing man's forgetfulness of that commandment? The only one of the Ten most Christian groups seemingly want to forget.
Carson versus Bacchiocchi........2005-12-17
Authors of this volume repeatedly contrast their opinion with Bacchicchi's, so reader have to know Bacchiocchi's "From Sabbath to Sunday" for better understanding this investigation. Carson takes evangelical stand in sabbath/sunday question, but Bacchiocchi presents the Seventh-day adventists view. Both works are valuable and scolarly deep.
Bacchiocchi got golden medal from Pope Paul VI for his dissertation "From Sabbath to Sunday", he made in the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, and his work has an Imprimatur of Roman Catholic Church.
Carson in this book try to refute theses of Bacchiocchi, but conclusions there sometimes seems foggy.
So I give four stars.
Each one personally have to evaluate both these books and make own conclusions about meaning of Sabbath today.
Insights into a Christian view of the sabbath.......2004-07-25
This book is pricey, but invaluable. It will make you think about the relationship between
the New Testament and the Old Testament
the law of Moses and the law of Christ
the Jewish sabbath and Christian worship
and many other important issues.
The various authors, who were Cambridge post-graduate students, worked together on their book, and have come to quite a close agreement on the issues involved.
Table of Contents
Introduction by D A Carson
The Sabbath in the Old Testament by Harold Dressler
A Summary of Sabbath Observance in Judaism at the beginning of the Christian Era by C Rowland
Jesus and the Sabbath in the Four Gospels
The Sabbath, Sunday, and the Law in Luke/Acts by Max Turner
The Sabbath/Sunday Question and the Law in the Pauline Corpus by D R de Lacey
Sabbath, Rest, and Eschatology in the New Testament by A T Lincoln
The Lord's Day by R J Bauckham
Sabbath and Sunday in the Post-Apostolic Church by R J Bauckham
Sabbath and Sunday in the Medieval Church in the West by R J Bauckham
Sabbath and Sunday in the Protestant Tradition by R J Bauckham
From Sabbath to Lord's Day: a Biblical and Theological Perspective by A T Lincoln
The stance of the book is close to New Covenant Theology. The authors do not regard the sabbath as a creation ordinance or as binding for Christians, either as the seventh or first day of the week.
The book is available new, or second-hand from Amazon partners [but sometimes the used copies are even more expensive!] But it is a most stimulating book, and well worth your time.
Highly recommended
Book Description
A Formatio book. Let's give ourselves an A for effort.
- We keep our minds so preoccupied with work projects that we act and think on autopilot.
- We keep our kids so occupied with activities that they need day planners before grade school.
- We keep our schedules so full with church meetings and housekeeping and even entertaining that down-time sounds like a mortal sin.
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 it: 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.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-10-10
This book challenged and inspired me all at the same. The author's candid thoughts regarding her own experience with the Sabbath helped me embrace the idea of starting this ritual on my own. It is a great book and worth reading!!
Creative Sabbath keeping.......2006-12-07
This is a terrific book. I especially liked Lynne's example of how she tries to fast from "words" as part of her Sabbath-keeping, since much of her work entails reading/writing/speaking words. I've taken that to heart, and am experimenting with ways to implement it more fully in my Sabbaths.
Great, life-changing book........2006-01-19
We as Americans have gotten so far away from even the thought of taking an entire day to rest, regroup, and be refreshed. It seems to be beyond our imagination that taking such a day could actually make the rest of our week go even better and that we will be not only more productive, but happier and peaceful. I am so grateful to Lynne Baab for writing this book because it helped confirm that having a day of rest is really imperative for our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Since I started my Sabbath days I can truly notice a difference in
every one of those areas of my life. And I love how Lynne is not legalistic about how we should conduct ourselves on our personal Sabbath day---that everyone has different needs and styles. Also that our Sabbath practices will change over the years as our circumstances change. I intend on giving away copies of this book to all of my stressed friends who have been raised in this culture to think that if we aren't frantically running around PRODUCING and multi-tasking then we aren't doing anything of worth. We need to stop, take a deep breath, and enjoy a weekly Sabbath where we will find treasures and joys we never knew we could be experiencing!
See Isaiah 58:13-14 for a great scripture concerning the Sabbath.
A wonderful way to understand the beauty of the Sabbath!.......2005-03-21
This book is an easy read, but packed full of practical wisdom about keeping the Sabbath. It helped me to see how the ancient tradition of Sabbath-keeping can benefit us in the fast-paced world we live in today. Lynne recognizes the vast differences in each of our lives, and has ideas and suggestions that we can each apply in the way that works for us. If you want an easy way to understand how observing the Sabbath can bring joy to your life, just set aside a morning to do nothing but sit on the couch with this book and a cup of coffee or tea. You'll be changed after the experience!
Book Description
For over a full decade Black Sabbath had dominated Heavy Metal. As much as Led Zeppelin scorned the term Black Sabbath embraced it. In an age of bona fide supergroups Sabbath were unquestionably the heaviest thing stalking the planet and quite remarkably had remained a solid unit where others around them suffered ongoing membership fall outs and line-up reincarnations. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward had weathered internal storms just as ferocious as every other band out on the circuit but had remained resolute. They had conquered the globe, sold close to 50 million albums and without concession had not pulled back one iota from delivering absolute, pure Heavy Metal. In 1977 the unthinkable happened. Ozzy Osbourne decamped. He would be lured back for one last album 'Never Say Die' before flying solo, rapidly building a band unit that would equal the repute of the mother-ship. Between 1979 and 1997 Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne were pitched against each other in a titanic struggle unprecedented in Rock n' Roll. Both stars would employ the very finest players of the genre in the conflict and produce some of the finest Heavy Metal of the generation in the process. Tony Iommi, the man who without question invented Heavy Metal, fronted up Sabbath with vocal legends such as Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes and Tony Martin against Ozzy's awesome arsenal of guitar innovators Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. Both Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne reinvented their bands time and time again. The huge array of elite players that travelled through the ranks is now a constant source of fascination and rumours for Sabbath fanatics. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: The Battle for Black Sabbath' reforges the author's two previous landmark tomes 'Ozzy Osbourne: The Story of the Ozzy Osbourne band' & 'Black Sabbath: Never Say Die!' along with additional material into this one definitive Metal milestone. Complete with over 140 images, many never seen before, and unique interviews, including with the late Ray Gillen and Cozy Powell as well as the highly controversial figure of Jeff Fenholt and mysterious Dave Donato, 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is the definitive account of those years (1979 to 1997) before the reunion. Exclusive interview content with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Cozy Powell, Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, Tony Martin, Geoff Nicholls, Rob Halford, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Carmine Appice, Tommy Aldridge, Neil Murray, Dave Spitz, Eric Singer, David Donato, Jeff Fenholt, Bobby Rondinelli, Rudy Sarzo, Phil Soussan, Randy Castillo, Bernie Torme, Brad Gillis, Jo Burt, Pete Way, Dana Strum, Terry Chimes, Lita Ford, Steve Vai, Don Airey, Lindsey Bridgewater, Terry Nails and many, many more. Additional details: 8 page discography appendix detailing 264 career albums and singles from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Bill Ward, Geezer and Tony Iommi; plus 7 page index with 694 entries. Product Dimensions: 8.25 x 11.0 inches (210 x 279 mm). Weight: approximately 1.6 lbs (0.75 kg).
Customer Reviews:
I'm simply astonished.......2007-09-17
I'm simply astonished by the sheer amount pf information contained in this book. Dont'get it wrong: this is a HUGE book, with A4 paper format, more than three hundred pages with two columns in each one. But, if you're into Black Sabbath and Ozzy, you will read it really fast.
The books gives detailed information about almost everything. It has good taste without relaying in useless gossip. This was one of most gratifying readings I've had in years. Highly recommended!
Not a literary masterpiece... but we are dealing with Sabbath here........2007-05-27
If you're looking for a comprehensive account of the comings and goings of singers and drummers during the 80's and 90's, this book is very interesting. It's extremely detailed. Much of the information seems to come from Geoff Nichols, the unheralded keyboardist (unheralded to the point where he was off the stage half the time) who was with Sabbath for more years than anyone but Tony and Geezer.
As a piece of writing, this is not the best. It tends to read like a very long high school term paper. There is little concept of flow and readability. Every incident is given equal weight no matter how important or how insignificant. It seems like the author literally took every bit of information at his disposal and put it here, leaving some situations underappreciated and some boringly overdeveloped.
As stated before, the editing and production are also pretty abysmal. I'm not trying to be overcritical here but, let's face it, this is something they want us to pay for. If this information was something I came across on a free website I would be a little more forgiving.
That being said, if you're going to buy this book you are, more likely than not, a big fan. You'll find something here to justify the purchase. Just don't expect to sit next to the fire with this one sipping chardonnay and eating bon bons to achieve literary orgasm. It's not gonna happen.
as comprehensive as it gets.......2007-02-07
Everything you wanted to know about the history of Black Sabbath..and then some.The only criticism i have is that maybe it details just a little too deeply,but a good read and i learnt some things i didn't know before.
Very Informative / Very Poorly Edited.......2007-01-16
An excellent read for the most devoted of Sabbath fans. However, this is by far the worst editing I've ever seen of any publication in my entire life! Blatant mispellings & poor grammar abound.
Nothing New Here I'm affraid! .......2006-12-24
There is nothing new here in this book that has not already been said! Why does the author find that he needs to rehash what he has already written in two previous excellent publications, and submit it as a new title?
Dissapointed reader..
Book Description
Widely-acclaimed author Mark Buchanan states that what we've
really lost is "the rest of God-the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness." Stillness as a virtue is a foreign concept in our society, but there is wisdom in God's own rhythm of work and rest. Jesus practiced Sabbath among those who had turned it into a dismal thing, a day for murmuring and finger-wagging, and He reminded them of the day's true purpose:
liberation-to heal, to feed, to rescue, to celebrate, to lavish and relish life abundant.
With this book, Buchanan reminds us of this and gives practical advice for restoring the sabbath in our lives.
Customer Reviews:
The Rest of God--best book I've found on Sabbatyh.......2007-10-04
Pastor-writer Mark Buchanan has crafted a book that is at once delightful and challenging to read. Buchanan targets the American church-goer with these words: "The world is not dying for another book. Bit it is dying for the rest of God" (1) In so doing he pinpoints the biblical message which is even more urgent for front-line cross-cultural workers laboring under the "tyranny of the urgent" and the "reality of insufficient resources." So how is one to find a day with God in a spiritual war zone, with inadequate laborers, insufficient replacements, and inadequate prayer cover?
His journey from overwork, tiredness, little joy, and stunted joy rings true with countless missionaries laboring around the globe under similar circumstances. He confesses a well-kept secret: "for all my busyness, I was increasingly slothful...I was squandering time, not redeeming it...The inmost places suffered most" (2). I was reminded of conversations I've had with colleagues in Budapest and Boston, Jakarta and Johannesburg, who all said the same thing: "I was doing lasting damage...the pace and scale of my striving were paying diminishing returns. My drivenness was doing no one any favors..." (2). From that common ground with global Christian workers, Buchanan shared how he "learned to keep Sabbath in the crucible of breaking it."
Buchanan understands the missionary-ministry mindset. He rightly recognizes that most of us see Sabbath at something archaic and arcane. Many of us grew up legalistic about Sabbath, a day on which we couldn't do things that we really wanted to do. Instead, he seeks to convince us that "Sabbath, in the long run, is as essential to your well-being as food and water, and as good as a wood fire on a cold day" (3). His thesis is straightforward: "Sabbath imparts the rest of God--actual physical, mental and spiritual rest, but also the rest of God--the things of God's nature and presence we miss in our busyness" (3).
This book will change your mind about Sabbath.
Accordingly, "any deep change in how we live begins with a deep change in how we think" (4). Sound familiar? Any change in our conception of Sabbath begins with fresh eyes, an awakened imagination. "So God in Christ, and Christ through the Holy Spirit, is seeking to change our minds" (7). Yet like Zacchaeus, Jesus not only wants to change our minds, he wants to change our ways. Jesus invites us to embrace "a practice that embodies and rehearses his new way of seeing" (7).
Buchanan starts with a chapter on "Work: One Thing Before You Stop," and follows with 13 chapters that inform what stopping will do for your soul. He invites the reader to stop the legalism, stop to remove the taskmasters, stop to think anew, stop to find what's missing, stop to see God's bigness, stop to number our days, stop to find a center, stop to become whole, stop just to waste time, stop to taste the kingdom, stop to hear God, stop to pick up the pieces, and stop to glimpse forever.
Chapter Two: "A Beautiful Mind: Stopping to Think Anew" caught my time-oriented lifestyle off-guard. "Under God's economy, nothing really changes until our minds do. Transformation is the fruit of a changed outlook" (32-33). So far, so good. But Buchanan continues: "God is more interested in changing your thinking than in changing your circumstances..." All of this touches on the art of Sabbath-keeping. "What makes Sabbath time--whether a day or a year, an afternoon or a week, a month or a moment--different from all other time? Simple: A shift in our thinking, an altering of our attitudes" (33). Oooh! He had me. "Sabbath is time sanctified, time betrothed, time we perceive and receive and approach differently from all other time...We become ourselves in the presence of Sabbath: more vulnerable, less afraid. More ready to confess, to be silent, to be small, to be valiant" (33).
Since experiencing a transformative Sabbatical in my life for six months in 2001-2002, I have evangelistically encouraged hundreds of missionaries to take a Sabbatical. Typically, they laugh politely. Buchanan's words in Chapter 10, "Restore: Stopping to Become Whole," helped me understand the disappointing dismissal of many missionaries to the concept of taking extended time away to spend with God. "I don't think it's possible to benefit from a sabbatical if you've never learned to keep Sabbath. Sabbatical is Sabbath writ large. If we haven't been faithful in the small things, why do we expect to be entrusted with the greater ones?...Sabbatical is just doing dally, for several months of days, what you've already learned to do weekly, for many years of weeks" (147).
Sheer Gift - a little wordy, but a clear and much needed message to Christians in our culture.......2007-09-09
I am a big fan of Mark Buchanan. When I read 'Your God Is Too Safe' I thought he was the freshest Christian voice writing today. What he had to say was great but his writing style was equally impressive, restrained, easy-going yet filled with delightful and descriptive analogies that kept me turning the pages. His second book, 'Things Unseen' was equally delightful and thought-provoking. His third book, The Holy Wild, tended to re-tread old ground from his first book.
With his fourth book now out, Buchanan shows that he still has important things to say. The need for us in modern Western society to step off the treadmill regularly, to take a deep breath away from the busyness of life, to actually focus on the important (spending time with God, relaxing, recharging) at the expense of the urgent (the To Do list) is imperative. Buchanan duly sets about redeeming the exercise and the lifestyle of Sabbath for us.
The writing style that once so entranced me, however, now mildly irritates. At times he seems so intent on unveiling a new analogy (or two, or three, for the one point) I almost forget what he is trying to say. The delightful and inventive turn of phrase now seems flowery past the point of necessity. Where I charged through his first book, I pushed through this one.
BUT, his voice is still honest and useful. We should heed his discussion of how we don't recognise feasting because we are constantly full, replete. And of how absurd the concept is that we can be busy doing things for God, and yet not know him. His discussion of emptying ourselves so that we may be filled. Of remembering how to play and of not trying to do God's job for him. And the most importantly (for me), of the truth that "the work's never done, and never done quite right. It's always more than you can finish and less than you hoped for." And of a realisation that, therefore, the 'rest of God' is not a well-deserved reward for all of our hard work. No, it is instead "sheer gift".
As is this book.
I stand in awe at a sheer masterpiece........2007-09-06
I cannot believe this book. Those who have read it will not be surprised to hear me share that I am in awe and am only in the first chapter. It took me two weeks just to puruse the introduction (puruse, with it's true meaning of "to read carefully") because it was so incredible and rich I just couldn't stop reading it. The part about repentance was so amazing and freeing, and the way he described upholding and cherishing godly committments which are often assumed to be mere leagalizm, was absolutely beautiful. I was stunned. My only worry was how he could keep up his incredible, fresh, and stirring style for an entire book? Could one person truly posess such talent, creativity and ability to skillfully exert such brilliance with his words? Wow, I think he just might. God has gifted this man with a rare talent. I am online to order more copies to share... Truly, a masterpiece.
a book I want to read over and over.......2007-08-19
Mark Buchanan's The Rest of God is an amazing book. I have never written an Amazon.com review for a book before, but was so moved by this one, I just had to. On one or two occasions it seemed like Buchanan stretched just a little in his poetic and metaphorical language, but for the most part this book is one of the best written and most influential books I have read in some time (and I read quite a few books.)
Buchanan's writing style is so engaging, transparent, authentic... I often found myself feeling very exposed, realizing that as he shared his own feelings and weaknesses and shortcomings, he had just painted a picture of me as well. Not only is the writing style excellent, the content is rich as well. The material in the book is powerful and, my wife and I are beginning to quickly discover, life-changing.
I highly recommend The Rest of God, (along with Baab's Sabbath Keeping). Enjoy this book, and enjoy the rest and balance that it will help lead you to.
The freedom Christ offers via Sabbath-keeping.......2007-06-06
Author and pastor Mark Buchanan tells readers why he became a Sabbath keeper rather than a Sabbath breaker --- and it wasn't for any gloriously pious reason. In fact, Buchanan writes that after working for forty straight days and feeling obsessed (driven even), he grew increasingly slothful. Yes, Buchanan was busy. He was also irritable, paranoid, bitter, self-righteous and gloomy. He slowly came to realize that Sabbath-keeping is more than simply a day off; it must morph into an "orientation --- a way of seeing and knowing." States Buchanan, "...it is both time on a calendar and a disposition of the heart." Further, learning to keep the Sabbath well must start with how people think, which, in turn, will lead to a dramatically different direction offered without apology, and invite and embrace a fresh way of living, working and seeing.
Buchanan, whose prose is always lyrical, has done a superb job at approaching this oft-worn topic from a singularly unique angle. At first glance, readers may presume that the author's topics are timeworn and tired; these assumptions could not be more erroneous. Every chapter is deliciously ripe with meaning and overflowing with delightful insights on living, working and playing in this world of demands, deadlines and soul-destroying detours. Buchanan redeems every aspect of life by offering a Sabbath-keeping perspective that provides hope, resurrection and renewal to believers who are willing to put off faulty archetypes and, through imaginative faith, walk toward a life unfettered by former societal chains.
The author even brings up liturgy --- a term (and practice) many evangelicals may be tempted to squelch --- and explains the term's original meaning, its "other-orderedness" that he shares at the close of each chapter. In so doing, he invites readers to some self-examination and then provides what he terms are "hints and prompts and invitations" to incorporate into one's own particular Sabbath-keeping dance.
Some of the subjects necessary to genuine Sabbath-keeping include understanding the blessing and curse of work from a biblically historical standpoint. Also, Buchanan details practical ways to change one's habit of thinking while learning to rest trustingly in God. There are also chapters devoted to numbering one's days aright, ceasing with legalism, removing taskmasters, taking time to simply play (or waste time), tasting the kingdom with a ready palate, listening for God (and hearing Him), pausing to pick up the puzzling pieces of life, and acclimating one's focus on eternity.
Readers will especially resonate with Buchanan's poignant and telling chapter on making a hard and fast determination to loosen the chains set in place by internal and external taskmasters. This is most clearly evidenced by their guilt-inducing, fretful, compulsive-laced voices that offer nothing more than half-truths designed to hold prisoner every Christian whose heart and mind are beginning to reach for the freedom Christ offers via Sabbath-keeping.
Buchanan hits every American reader straight on with the truth that the Sabbath is indeed an issue of trust, as believers must turn over to God "all those things --- our money, our work, our status, our reputations, our plans, our projects..." Through this letting go, men and women of faith can rediscover that their identity is rooted in something far greater than achievements and material things. It is sealed by their position as children of God, who watches over them so they can rest.
--- Reviewed by Michele Howe
Book Description
The Phoenix Affirmations, named for the town in which the principles were created and the mythological bird adopted by ancient Christians as a symbol of resurrection, offers disillusioned and spiritually homeless Christians and others a sense of hope and a more tolerant, joyful, and compassionate message than those we often hear from the media and some Christian leaders. These twelve central affirmative principles of Christian faith are built on the three great loves that the Bible reveals: love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. They reflect commitments to environmental stewardship, social justice, and artistic expression as well as openness to other faiths. Transcending theological and culture wars, inclusive and generous in spirit and practice, these principles ask believers and seekers alike to affirm their Christian faith in a fresh way.
Customer Reviews:
Progressive Christianity.......2007-05-21
The core values of Christianity are challenged in this summary of what many of today's Christians think and believe today.
Thoughtful & Thought-provoking.......2007-03-29
I won't go into much detail on the theology of this little book -- suffice it to say that the size of the book has nothing to do with the HUGE impact these affirmations will have on fundamental/conservative/evangelical/liberal Christianity. The thoughts expressed here are those of a "new" look -- progressive Christianity and so challenge the core beliefs of Christianity that the thoughts expressed here would be difficult to accept for any of the "normal" theological liones of thought.
Having said that, however, these affirmations are, as the authors clearly state, only a beginning in the process of discovering what Christianity will have to be about if it is to survive into the 21st century. Read this book with an open mind and heart and it will affirm and challenge you. Coming from an evangelical background, it was both challenging and frightening -- but not in a way that was altogether negative. Judging from the thought that went into these concepts, and the wave of interest they are generating around the USA (the world?), the church is alive ... and growing. It will truly be exciting to see what Christianity wil be like in the 21st century!
Faith for the 21st century.......2006-11-05
This book is an excellent summary of what thoughtful, progressive Christians are thinking today. It is [rpvocative, not exhaustive, in laying out an agenda for living out one's faith in this complex contemporary American culture. Both as an individual study and as a group discussion, the author helps Christians to articulate a stronger faith and non-beleivers to see a way to amke sense of the Christian gospel.
The Phoenix Affirmations.......2006-11-03
The Phoenix Affirmations was a real eye opener for me. It has caused me to look at Christianity in a whole new way. For me this book paints the future of the Christian church.
Welcome to Progressive Christianity.......2006-09-03
Eric Elnes is just one of many Christians trying to change the discussion of Christianity and Christian values in American culture today. This small book, built around the 12 affirmations he and colleagues, friends, and co-religionists in Arizona have put together, is a fine summation of what many Christians today would like folks to understand should be the character of 21st century Christianity. It is a book whose ideas resonate with those in other faiths as well. It should be an invitation to those who have walked away from the church to reconsider their faith and return to work with others to make sure the church is tolerant, inclusive, compassionate, and is a church that takes faith, prayer, and the Bible seriously (if not literally in the last case). Each chapter covers an affirmation, treating it in most cases with an incident drawn from Elnes's pastoral experiences. It is an easy read. Give it your consideration.
Customer Reviews:
Full of Rich and Graceful Insight.......2007-09-30
This book's subtitle, "An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline," is perhaps the best introduction to its theme - an exploration of how Jewish spiritual traditions can intertwine with and enhance Christian spiritual disciplines.
Lauren Winner brings a rich background to this subject. As a convert to Christianity from Orthodox Judaism, she is intimately familiar with the practice of spiritual disciplines in both Jewish and Christian culture. And without succumbing to a pluralistic perspective on the two religions, she shares insights on ways to incorporate rich Jewish traditions into the Christian faith - while upholding the ultimate truth and beauty of Christ as the center of the Christian faith.
The book's eleven chapters deal with traditional "spiritual disciplines" such as prayer, fasting, and keeping the Sabbath, as well as lesser-known ways to honor God in such areas as mourning, hospitality, candle-lighting, and weddings. Woven among the practical suggestions offered, and the often-humorous real-life anecdotes, are broader theological implications about the importance and meaning of spiritual disciplines.
I loved this book because it remains firmly rooted in Christian orthodoxy, while exploring ways that another tradition can enhance our own spiritual practices. That is an incredibly difficult balance to maintain, and Lauren Winner has done it here with insightful grace.
A fresh look on the Ancient ways.......2007-08-29
Winner provides a fresh perspective of spiritual disciplines in the genre of the spiritual formation movement, drawing on her Orthodox Jewish roots and current Episcopal practice. Given that Judaism is based on practice, Winner invites the typical Christian "do-it-yourselfer" into a rhythm of life from ancient roots, from how we approach our time, food, relationships, body or even the aging process itself. This brief read of 11 Jewish disciplines keeps the reader's attention through her own personal story and fascinating insight into the heart of Jewish life. She also re-contextualizes her roots in a new kind of liturgy. The text tends to be more descriptive than prescriptive, making it more inviting to readers exploring the heart behind spiritual practices.
Winner's book reminded me of another Episcopal writer, Debra Farrington, author of Living Faith Day by Day. While Farrington's book is more of an idea book of several practices drawn mostly from the European monastic tradition, Winner focuses on those from her Jewish roots. Both will help face-paced suburban followers, like me, to slow down and reflect. After reading Winner following the Rest of God, Rest of God, by Mark Buchanan, and the Great Omission, by Dallas Willard, I am more intrigued than ever how Christ-followers need to incorporate a human rhythm of their spiritual life. Bottom line: I've had it with programmatic Christianity. Winner reminded me that God built into His chosen people a way of life that kept them focused on Him in everything they did. I want my life to be more whole. Winner is rediscovering this for herself. I believe Richard Foster would appreciate this other stream of spirituality -- this Jewish stream -- which Winner invites us back to reconsider.
Another Winner from Lauren.......2007-05-25
Lauren Winner does not fail to challenge the mind and delight the soul with Mudhouse Sabbath. Her insights and experience with Judaism continue to inform her Christian practise and enlighten other believers who seek to press beyond the assumptions of our own culture.
Even though I was raised in a Christian home in a New England state that still had Blue Laws on the books, my own family sunk into the mire of Sunday as 'just another day' when Home Depot and Safeway extended their Sunday hours. The Sabbath was intended by God to be a joyful day of rest and worship, a day to refresh our bodies and souls, but our dollar-driven culture has reduced Sunday to another day of chores and shopping. I became convicted of my own lack of Sabbath keeping while living in France, which is among the most secular countries in the world, yet the French are great keepers of the restful Sunday, even if practically no one goes to church anymore.
Upon my return to the US, it was a challenge to consecrate this day, especially as so many American Christians do not feel called to honor it beyond attending services. I was delighted to see Lauren Winner take up the challenge on this and other topics of devotion, to see how the Jewish faith can inform our Christian practise, not only on the subject of Sabbath keeping, but other important traditions like mourning, which have been sadly lost in our five-minute culture.
I highly recommend these thoughtful musings to anyone who seeks a deepening of faith and spiritual practise.
Spiritual Connections Between two Faiths.......2007-05-03
Christianity and Judaism have one complicated relationship. Christians worship the God of Israel, but claim He is Three Eternal Persons. Jews since 95 CE have considered Christians heretics and reorganized their Scripture in opposition to the burgeoning Christian Faith. Christians claim to have a fuller Revelation of God than the Jews, but Christians were martyred incessantly in the early centuries of the Curent Era. The Holocaust, is a horrible and tragic reminder of what can happen if anti-Semitism takes hold (as it did in Europe) even in the hands of non-Christians.
But, despite our mutual misunderstandings, and scarred and conflicted past, Jews and Christians are coming to the table to talk and discuss our similarities. In a wonderful example, Jaroslav Pelikan the late Eastern Orthodox Yale scholar was close friends with the late Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Some of the less finer examples are the Christian Fundamentalist sect "Messianic Judaism" which is prepostrious and offensive to both Jews and Christians but nevertheless our differences and similarities are being explored.
Lauren Winner, an amazing emerging voice in the Christian world was raised in a Jewish home, and converted to Anglican Christianity later in life from an apathetic agnosticism. Her writing is fluid and conise. Her voice is warm and sweet as she explores our spirtual relationship to Judaism and explores ways that Christians can resurrect these practices that the Early Christians practiced, as they were worshiping deep in the Roman Catacombs or the caves in Cappadocia. Written in a converstaional style, this book is a delight to pick up and read on any day, just to soak it in. For me, I found it a wonderful break from the scholarly books I so often and compelled to devour, or the tired polemics of a "Messianic Judaism" books bashing both Historical Christianity and contemporary Judaism. Winner finds a perfect balence that she explores with poise and grace. This book is highly recomended for those interested in finding out our similarities to the Jewish Faith (and a deep faith at that) and looking to our own past practices.
I recomend after reading this Richard J Foster's "Celebration of Discipline", Kallistos Ware's "The Orthodox Way" and Jim Forest's "Praying with Icons". The latter two are from the Eastern Orthodox tradition but are written to be accesible to anyone interested in finding out more about the ancient Christian Spiritual Practices (Ware is a former Anglican and Forest is also a convert and friend of Thomas Merton).
Excellent.......2007-04-13
Though Provking Essasys on relationship/differences between Judaism/Christinity customs. Winner was raised Jewish and convereted to Christiniaty as an adult. This adds a unique perspective. Must Read.
Amazon.com
It's sad that we need a book to remind us of the importance of scheduling time to rest and worship. But because we can work, shop, achieve, and otherwise stay busy every hour of every day of the week, we do. The statement, "I am so busy" has become a frighteningly common lament, according to author Wayne Muller. Our perpetual state of busyness represents a war on our natural rhythms that demand quiet and renewal in order to be emotionally, spiritually, and creatively fertile.
Honoring the Sabbath need not be a commitment to a specific day of the week, explains Muller. In fact, it can be a yearlong retreat or a morning walk--"anything that preserves a visceral experience of life-giving nourishment and rest."
Far more than an interesting concept, this is a good read. Each chapter is provocative and fluid, with topics such as "Fear of Rest," "Dormancy," and "The Way of Enough." At the end of his chapters, Muller offers stories, poems, or practices that speak to the themes of the Sabbath. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
It has become our standard greeting: "I'm so busy." Now, in a book that can heal our harried lives, the author of the spiritual classic
How, Then, Shall We Live? shows us how to create a special time of rest, delight, and renewal--a refuge for our souls.
Our relentless emphasis on success and productivity has become a form of violence, Muller says. We have lost the necessary rhythm of life, the balance between effort and rest, doing and not doing. Constantly striving, we feel exhausted and deprived in the midst of great abundance, longing for time with friends and family, longing for a moment to ourselves.
Millennia ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time within a life of unceasing labor. This consecrated time, Muller affirms, is available to all of us, regardless of our spiritual tradition. We need not even schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a sabbath afternoon, a sabbath hour, a sabbath walk. Sabbath time is time off the wheel, time when we take our hand from the plow and allow the essential goodness of creation to nourish our souls.
With wonderful stories, poems, and suggestions for practice, Muller teaches us how we can use this time of sacred rest to refresh our bodies and minds, restore our creativity, and regain our birthright of inner happiness. In
Sabbath, he has given us a revolutionary tool for cultivating those necessary human qualities that grow only with time: wisdom, courage, honesty, generosity, healing, and love.
Customer Reviews:
A Book That Everyone Should Read.......2007-03-06
I have read Wayne Muller's "Sabbath" multiple times, each time coinciding with a personal crisis connected to the need for rest. Its rich wisdom and creativity have given me that and more. I believe our society could also benefit from it.
Interestingly, these types of work do not necessarily reveal anything new in our quest for understanding, wisdom and refuge. They are more in the akin to reminders--reminders our culture seriously needs. In fact, it seems as if we once grasped all of this, only to let go of it. Dr. Muller's book, after all, beckons us to "remember..."
With all reviews, I like to present a largely positive outlook, but no project is perfect, so I would also like to draw attention to its few, but noticeable demerits.
One of these is the old, recycled Sixties Generation attitudes on Corporate America, poverty, and Christianity. Dr. Muller, his wonderful scholarship notwithstanding, serves up some of the same tired gripes common to this group. Yes, it is true that the industrious woman in Somalia does not get her due, but does this mean we are to hate government and big business for it? One can still work for a large corporation, put in a hard day's work (which many of us have), feel proud, get rewarded, and go home to rest.
Additionally, there are some snubs directed at Christians. In one chapter, Muller speaks disparagingly of the Christian missionaries who came to America to convert the (what else could they be?) poor, disadvantaged Indians. Why the sarcasm? Has Dr. Muller not heard of the Great Commission handed down by Jesus: to go out into the world and preach the gospel? Someone with Dr. Muller's pedigree ought to know better than that.
Dr. Muller also makes the mistake of assuming, as many unfortunately do, that Jesus' sole (or primary) purpose was to help the poor. I could scarcely believe this glaring oversight. Jesus came to reconcile man to God; as an extension of this, he assisted the poor, among other things.
Yet all in all, Dr. Muller does a wonderful job of standing in the midst of today's hectic society and saying, "Wait, wait..." He is the Paul Revere of the Age of Burnout.
I hope this book can somehow be made available to as many people as possible.
The Sabbath Was Made For Man.......2004-07-07
This book is a good introduction to rest for anyone interested in it, yet it leaves the decision up to the reader as to which day one is to keep as a rest day.
Is the Sabbath rest command subject to arbitrary decision making leaving it up to the individual to decide which day is to be kept?
When Jesus spoke to his disciples he said that the Sabbath was made for man. Now there are some who may argue that the Saturday Sabbath was for the Jewish people only because he was talking with Jews at the time, yet, Jesus, you know, the God or Yahweh of the Old Testament gave the Sabbath to the Israelites, 12 tribes not just to Judah (with Benjamin and Levi, the Jews today.)
Also, the scripture stated that man was to keep 'THE' Sabbath day holy not 'A' Sabbath day.
However, this book introduces the topic. Yet is the day for our pleasure or for God's? Although man was not created for the Sabbath to be it's slave, the Sabbath or 'THE' seventh day was created for mankind or made at the time of creation for all to keep.
What a Neat Book.......2000-12-24
I read this slowly, picking it up now and then, going through one brief
chapter at a time. I always found a smile on my face and a bit of
wisdom in my soul. This is an eloquent, poetic book that I would
highly recommend.
Muller starts with some history of what the Sabbath
has meant in the Jewish and Christian religions and how it has been
practiced through the centuries. But this is not dogmatic reading at
all. The author uses the word Sabbath as a metaphor for rest in our
lives - whether it's an actual day, morning ritual, or simply a few
moments alone during a busy day. He reminds us that there is a reason
that this Sabbath concept has been such a strong component of life in
our past, and warns us against the modern trend towards constant
activity.
Chapters are filled with personal experiences, stories of
others, poems, and suggestions for incorporating mindful rest into our
lives.
I look forward to rereading this numerous times in the future.
SABBATH, Restoring the Sacred Rythem of Rest.......2000-12-01
A profound experience reading Muller's work. I am in recovery and activily pratisipate in the program Alcoholics Anonymous ergo I am anonymous and will not identify myself. I write and experience a lot of speritual moments in my writing. I was moved very deeply by the depth of the book and how the excercises when practiced brought the peace of a living God into my presence.
Being addicive in nature I am a workaholic as I found my true calling at the age of 45. I love what I do and am so enamored with it I work way beyond the physical limits of my aging body. This book and it's return to basic living paterns has resored my energy and awareness of the closeness of my Power Greater Than All. Now twenty odd years in a program that saved my life I have more, love more, give of myself more as a result. This book now has taken me back to the basics of caring for myself first.
I am renewed, refreshed and with the help of the reading herein, I am in a new place with more vigor to give of myself. I am greatful for the opportunity to share this.
Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest.......2000-03-17
This book has helped change my life and my focus from workaholicism back to joy of living and family, from exhaustion and fatigue to faith in restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest. As other reviewers have mentioned, Wayne Muller's writing also stirred my soul and restarted the sacred rhythm set within. I have read many parts of this books aloud to my family, and have given copies to family and friends. All have received it with enthusiam. Some parts brought tears to my eyes as Muller's words flow gently on target in each chapter, and I felt the grief and relief that comes from knowing the truth (and it does set you free). This book is well written, easy to read, and should appeal to people of many faiths. It is a simple, but yet profound book. Made so, because the author is a skilled writer in reaching across the diverse realm of the manmade world to point out the conflicts modern men and women have created at many levels; conflicts which block out or otherwise have many of us unaware of the true value of Sabbath and the sacred rhythms established by the Creator at all levels in all living things. This book will engage you with well chosen quotes, poems, and well written thoughts on the Sabbath. This is a must read!
Books:
- The Sacred Tree
- The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word (Meyer, Joyce)
- The Sparrow
- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
- The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence
- The Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ: or How to Philosophize with a Hammer (Penguin Classics)
- The Upanishads
- The Way of a Pilgrim
- The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit
- Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- A Broken Heart Still Beats: After Your Child Dies
- The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from
- Lo's Diary
- In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
- JOHN WAYNES AMERICA: The Politics of Celebrity
- Quantum Field Theory: From Operators to Path Integrals
- National Geographic Atlas of Natural America
- Multistate Corporate Tax Guide, 1994
- Managing Workplace Chaos: Workplace Solutions for Managing Information, Paper, Time, and Stress
- International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 1997
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism
The Prophets
Man Is Not Alone : A Philosophy of Religion
Jewish Holidays
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting
