Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives

by Wayne Muller

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.

Praise for Sabbath

“Muller's insights are applicable within a broad spectrum of faiths and will appeal to a wide range of readers.” — Publishers Weekly

“One of the best spiritual books of the year.” — Spirituality and Health

“Wayne Muller's call to remember the Sabbath is not only rich, wise and poetic, it may well be the only salvation for body and soul in a world gone crazy with busyness and stress.” —Joan Borysenko, author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind  and  A Woman's Book of Life

“This is a book that may save your life. Sabbath offers a surprising direction for healing to anyone who has ever glimpsed emptiness at the heart of a busy and productive life.” —Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author of  Kitchen Table Wisdom

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian, Christianity, Faith, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 1999

Reviews

[Ryan Jankowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a gift. I had never heard of the author, but was of the impression that this was a Christian presentation of Sabbath rest. That is not the case. This book most definitely was not written from a Christian perspective. The author is Unitarian. It Mr. Muller's syncretistic effort to unify all traditions of 'rest' and place them neatly under the title of 'sabbath' (linguistic revisionism, but hey, if it sells books).

For Christians, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mat 12.8) and he is therefore intended to be the center focus of the day. For Unitarians like Muller, the Sabbath is simply a day of rest, not much unlike a day at the spa. He recommends baths, with lots of bubbles, candles, and a glass of wine. He tells us of his friends Jules and Olivia who enjoy stripping down for some time 'sabbath' bath-time fun. Scrabble, champagne, and strawberries are another 'sabbath' essential.

But Muller does mention Jesus, especially when compared to the historically oppositional religions. So for Mr. Muller, taking refuge in Buddha is like taking refuge in Jesus. Mr. Muller speaks of "becoming Buddha", along with taking time to "bless mother earth". He speaks of the Sabbatarians among the Native Americans, the Babylonians, Muslims, the Jews, the Buddhists, and many other various other religions.

Other than a work of sociology for those interested in what Unitarians believe, I would not recommend this book for those of the historic and biblical-based Christian faith.

[Brad Feld · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had Digital Sabbath #3 yesterday. I turned off my phone and computer Friday at sundown and didn't turn them back on until Sunday morning. I'm starting to enjoy the pattern and had a lot of relief yesterday from the complete disconnect. We had dinner at our house with friends Friday night, Amy and I did some stuff in the morning together, I went for a 9 mile run, took a nap in the afternoon, and we had dinner last night with friends and then watched some comedy on tv afterwards. My brain was less chaotic yesterday and I was able to settle into a calmer state over the course of the day than I had been the previous two weekends.

Last weekend a read a book by Wayne Muller called Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives. I was a little apprehensive about the book, but it was recommended by a few people including Amy. It was extraordinary and just what I needed to begin to understand the need for a real day of rest out of every seven days.

While I'm not religious, I've got a strong jewish identity. I've also lived in Boulder for 17.5 years so it's hard not to be spiritual. I found as I read the book that I was able to abstract away all the religious references, especially since Muller provides a nice mix of jewish, christian, and buddhist quotes and thoughts. He isn't bashful about tying the idea of a day of rest back to religion, but he isn't dogmatic about it, nor is it the dominant thought. Instead, it's just additional support for the idea from many different cultures and times.

Muller broke the book up into six sections - rest, rhythm, time, happiness, wisdom, and consecration. He then ends with a chapter on the actual sabbath day. Each section has examples and exercises - it's an easy book to read in one sitting as the tempo of the book is consistent, and the rhythm of each section is enjoyable.

The bonus so far from starting on Friday night is that when I wake up on Sunday I feel rested and in a totally different mode for the "rest of the weekend" than I normally do. And I have no real "I need a weekend" feeling on Sunday as it's still a relatively chill day, although one that has some work and all the other stimuli of my world woven into it.

I'm going to keep doing digital sabbath for a while and see how it goes. Muller's Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives helped me understand it a little better.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those life-changing books. I read it 2 years ago and keep coming back to it. It has a simple message: we are not machines, and we cannot thrive in our constantly "on" culture. We have been designed to delight in rhythm and rest. What I love about this book is has Judeo-Christian roots, but is accessible to folks who don't adhere to a particular faith. There are mini essays (3-5 pages) developing a particular facet of Sabbath, followed by 1st person descriptions of a particular Sabbath practice. Very good.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've returned to this book annually since it was first published, and always go away from it with something new. What worried or chafed before, a few years later, turned out to make sense to me in new circumstances. What seemed most profound, lived out over a few years, seemed everyday common sense. That's the thing about good books of spiritual practice: you meet them in different ways at different times in your life and they still have something to teach you, something to surprise you, something to invite you to try understanding.

Good for individual study and small groups, and a nice introduction to the spiritual practice of keeping Sabbath for people who have never lived with that practice and are afraid of it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary
Wayne Muller’s thesis is that Sabbath is good. He explores the fundamental need for rest, its origin in creation and its placement in major world religions. There is a fundamental rhythmicity to nature, Muller contends, and that is no accident. We are created to need rest; therefore Sabbath is created for us. As this is a natural truth, Muller finds much support from other faith traditions, with similar rest practices.

Believe
Muller rests heavily on the creation account for his assertion that Sabbath is fundamental to all of nature. God finished the Creative work on the seventh day; in taking his rest, God created peace and rest for the world (37). He also points out that there is an ongoing quality to the Hebrew grammar – that God began to create, an action that continues, as Muller asserts in a circular motion. He sees creation and recreation in cycle (36). Another key theme Muller draws throughout the book is the goodness of creation. From the creation account he echoes God’s declaration that all God made is good. In this Muller finds much in which to rest. There is a fundamental goodness in us; Muller contends that, traces back to the goodness of its Creator. Call it what you will, inner light, hidden wholeness, Buddha nature, imago dei, there is something there that if we slow down we will touch the divine.

Doubt
Muller’s view of the inherent goodness of man is difficult for me to believe. There is the fall, as we evangelicals understand it, which stands in the way of seeing all as good. (I still have much to engage with the Eastern Orthodox view of the fall.) Also in his unbending exhortation for us to enjoy the good around us now, he negates a fuller future rest to come. His “what if?” questioning (79) leaves one wondering if Muller has a belief in an afterlife at all. He seems to argue with Hebrews where it says “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”

Synthesis
I have little problem with Muller’s references to other religions. I am in agreement with his premise that Sabbath finds its root in creation. If it is indeed that foundational I would expect to find expressions of it in all religions. Those expressions can be edifying to us, especially for a practice we have so thoroughly erased from our culture. I hold to the evangelical view of the fall and the eschatology of the biblical apocalyptic literature. This, however, does not restrict me from agreeing with Muller that the earth, and all creation bear the stamp of the divine, especially we who were created in God’s image. It is then possible (while perhaps paradoxical) to find the goodness and glory of God, even in marred creation.

Application
Muller joins a conspiracy this week to return me to a renewed joy of rhythm in prayer. This week my family and I enter into intentional community with a couple that will be moving in with us. This has given me pause to think about the structure of our community (which we call The Parsonage). Inspired by this and the praying of the psalms in our retreat in everyday life, I have made praying the Liturgy of the Hours part of our communal life. Today I had a chance to introduce the practice to these new Christians. I also have enjoyed the monastic tradition of rest period after lunch. Our twitter account reminds us of our need to rest!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book: my first introduction to Wayne Muller. In it, he explores all kinds of elements of our lives today and how we can find greater satisfaction -- delight! -- and greater peace within the madness of the world. What I love is that Wayne is both an incredible writer and has very thoughtful, well-researched chapters, each of which ends with a practical exercise to try in your life. Very helpful combination of reflection and action.

[Mark Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peaceful book on rest but was not really written from the Christian or Jewish perspective but from the universalist, pluralistic perspective. It made it hard to read for me because while the concepts and stories about resting were peaceful and good, often pluralism was knocking on the door.

If one could chew the meat and spit out the bones, this could be a book to read on resting well.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very excellent book about taking time out of your week to rest,commonly referred to as "Sabbath", is worth the money I spent on it. My personality type (ISTJ & Enneagram 1) has hard time slowing down from accomplishing tasks and must be told to STOP! Otherwise I keep on going and eventually burn out. So this book gave me the permission to feel as if stopping to rest is helpful to my physical and emotional well-being.

Some quotes from the book that resonated with me:
~Sabbath is about joy and things that only grow in time.
~During Sabbath, pamper your soul.
~The Sabbath is given unto to you, not you unto the Sabbath.
~The Sabbath is the exhale of your week.
~Sabbath invites us to step back and see what is good.
~Our willingness to rest depends on what we believe we will find there.
~"Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy" is not a burdensome requirement from a law-giving deity; but rather a remembrance of a law that is firmly embedded in the fabric of nature. Many scientists believer we are hard-wired to need and enjoy rhythmic awareness, to work and to rest.
~Sabbath is not dependent on on our readiness to stop. We do not stop when we are finished. We stop because it is time to stop.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for candlestick holders in Ireland for Shabbat.

If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn, let yourself die.
—TAO TE CHING

Find a candle that holds some beauty or meaning for you. When you have set aside some time before a meal, or during prayer, meditation, or simply quiet reading set the candle before you, say a simple prayer or blessing for yourself or someone you love, and light the candle. Take a few mindful breaths. For just this moment, let the hurry of the world fall away.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What if we were to expand our definition of wealth to include those things that grow only in time--time to walk in the park, time to take a nap, time to play with children, to read a good book, to dance, to put our hands in the garden, to cook playful meals with friends, to paint, to sing, to meditate, to keep a journal. What if we were to live, for even a few hours without spending money, cultivating time instead as our most precious resource?"

"Medical science has a very specific name to describe unrestricted cell growth in the human body: cancer. Just as undifferentiated cell growth is medically toxic, so is unrestricted economic growth ethically toxic. When we measure only the manufacture and sale of goods and services--regardless of the uses to which those goods are put, and regardless of the quality of the days and lives of the people using them--we create an economy unintentionally skewed toward military expansion, war, destruction, and other profitable and expensive endeavors. Waste, stupidity, and evil all cost money, and are, by extension, economic goods; each feeds the machine of growth."

"A true marriage of money and time honors the value of both. Both time and money are essential commodities for building a just and healthy world. But during Sabbath, we specifically honor those precious things--courage, creativity, wisdom, peace, kindness, and delight--that grow only in the soil of time."

This is a precious book. A revolutionary book filled with ideas and practices from many traditions and individuals for living in Kairos rather than Chronos, creating space in our lives for reflecting, resting and taking delight in ourselves, nature, and our loved ones. I know I shall return to it again and again.

[Annalee Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoops forgot to update my status. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone wanting to build a better understanding of Sabbath and put it into practice. Muller provides many practical ways to experience Sabbath. I like also that he shows Sabbath in other religions. The Sabbath was made for us, we weren’t made for it (Mark 2:27). And if you do read it I’d like to know your thoughts on his chapter of Emptiness.

[Morgan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped me think about the Sabbath from different perspectives and challenged me more in the importance of slowing down. I’d recommend The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry before this one but this is still a good read for the topic!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive, but stuff worth repeating

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the author cites other faith traditions beside Christian and Jewish teachings, which may bother some readers, he clearly presents God’s invitation to Sabbath practice with beauty, practicality, and wisdom. My own Sabbath observance has already been enriched.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loveeeed this book. Life felt slower and instantly more still in between the covers. Setting it down with a couple things I am EXCITED to practice and implement! While there were some theological differences, I decided to simply move past them and find the other treasures this book had to offer.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: C+

Worth the read. Helps me to realize that to "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8) requires intentionality. The demands of our lives create our forgetfulness. A time and a way of resting from the world and toward our Creator is not only a commandment, but needed for the restoration and renewal of our soul.

"Henri Nouwen was a dear friend of mine, a brother, priest, and mentor. He was also a fiercely asture observer of our worried, overfilled lives. Henri insisted that the noise of our lives made us deaf, unable to hear when we are called, or from which direction. Henri said our lives have become absurd -- because in the word absurb we find the Latin word surdus, which means deaf. In our spiritual life we need to listen to the God who constantly speaks but whom we seldom hear in our hurried deafness."

"On the other hand, Henri was found of reminding me that the word obedient comes from the Latin word audire, which menas 'to listen'. Henri believed that a spiritual life was a pilgrimage from absurdity to obedience -- from deafness to listening."

"In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is acquired.
In pursuit of wisdom, every day something is dropped." (Lao Tzu)

"Thomas Merton begins this oft-repeated prayer whith confession: 'My dear God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end'. In a similar was Suzuki Roshi exalts the virtue of what he calls 'beginner's mind,' a condition of being able to embrace and accept a certain level of inevitable unknowing. It is, he says, a fertile practice, because often it is when we do not know the outcome that all things become possible."

[Daniel Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about juicy ecumenism. All in all the book itself was a sabbath read for me, and it was great to read it with school and whatnot going on. I disliked his inclusiveness, he was like a more dusty and vague Nouwen. On the whole however it was a much needed book for me to read. The elements of restful rhythm are quite a stern rebuke to American entertainment/consumerism.

[Katie Kelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not one to reread books - but this is one book I could imagine myself reading again, and then flipping back to the first page to read again.

[Michael O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller is one of the best books I've read on finding spiritual calm, renewal, and peace in our busy lives. His writing and philosophical narratives are very similar to another favorite spiritual author of mine--Henri Nouwen. As Muller reveals in his book, Henri Nouwen was a personal friend and mentor to him. This is a great book to read slowly, savor, and highlight--it has a great many takeaways--with many thoughtful pearls and gems to employ in our daily lives. I highly recommend taking the time to read this book

From The Publisher:
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.

[Fawn Pender · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed to read this book. I probably need to be regularly bashed about the head and shoulders with it, and read it monthly. My friends know my habit of over-scheduling myself--there are so many things I want to do and believe passionately about that I find myself busy beyond belief with absolutely no room for refreshment.

"Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives" is a beautiful reminder of the importance of balance and rhythm in our lives. Wayne Muller encourages us to build in time to refresh ourselves, whether it is just a few minutes peacefully unplugged from our electronics or a structured meditation.

He reminds us that often our bodies "give" us that sabbath time by breaking down and forcing us to bed through illness. Each chapter includes suggested practices and rituals for rest and refreshment. A good read...and a useful re-read.

[Luke Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn’t a subject I’ve read more about in the past two years than sabbath. After seeing Muller quoted in many of those books, I knew I had to read his take on this lost discipline. And he didn’t disappoint. This is by far my favorite (and I think the best) book on the topic I’ve come across. Muller uses scripture, poetry, personal stories, friendships, practices, and even other religions to help you reclaim the gift of sabbath.

Also, as someone who’s fascinated by the topic of time, this book blew my mind on how much we’ve distorted time and sabbath is the frequent invitation to restore it.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, gentle reminder(s) from Wayne Muller about the importance of taking a traditional sabbath - preferably one day a week - and what the importance of a Sabbath is and was from a historical and Biblical perspective. In today's modern age, Muller argues that taking a Sabbath -- setting aside intentional time to "unplug" and "destress" from the worries, stresses, and noise of modern society -- is of utmost importance to your physical, spiritual, and emotional health and well being. While we think of a Sabbath as a full day of rest without labor, and in its most traditional sense this was its original purpose, it does not have to be this. It could be a simple walk where you don't have a destination, an afternoon nap, quiet time spent with family, or any other activity that you intentionally plan and that offers a respite from the busyness and chaos of our daily lives. Highly recommend this read to help quiet your soul and remind you that your life shouldn't always have something planned or scheduled.

[Sarah Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author states he is writing from a Christian perspective but it is clear extensive study of world religions and cultures was completed to write this text. This book examined the concept of sabbath from my angles I’d never previously considered. The completion of each chapter includes a PRACTICE section and those, even by themselves, make this book worth studying.

[Katie Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would definitely consider this to be more of a “spiritual” book rather than a “Christian living” book. Mueller uses a mixture of scripture and varied religious quotes to uphold his ideas, instead of an expository study of Biblical sabbath. My takeaway: we were made for rhythms of rest and must push back against an increasingly hurried and progressive culture to stay intimately connected with and dependent upon God.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

I was looking forward to reading this after reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, which I loved…and in which Comer referenced this book countless times. This book, however, was a disappointment. There were good little nuggets scattered throughout, but you had to sift through too much other stuff to find them.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I savored this book, reading small pieces, slowly, over time. It was a calming experience just reading it. Yes, there were some wacky parts mixed in with some beauty and truth. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the reminders to slow down and to make sure I’m intentional about sabbath.

[Dorothy Hartley · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed this a lot more than i expected. lots of good suggestions for restful practices

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explored Sabbath from different religious viewpoints and gives many, many ideas to implement in your own Sabbath practice. Any busy person should read this as Sabbath can enrich all our lives.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read has provided me validation

Validation that my urge, drive, need, these past few years, to gift myself sabbath-time, in various ways, and forms, and frequencies, but still, sabbath, is one I have been wise in heeding.

A lovely book, filled with stories along with delightful suggestions, or ideas, to try out.