Sabbath Rest

Many of our modern ills would be addressed (not fixed entirely, but mitigated) if we practiced, truly, the Sabbath Rest.

From a book review on Christianity Today about the new book:  Practices of Love: Spiritual Disciplines for the Life of the World by Kyle David Bennett, Brazos Press.  Review by Kristen Deede Johnson.  (Quotation starts here.

Sabbath for Others

To look more closely at this way of life, consider the spiritual discipline of Sabbath. Bennett describes how we can practice Sabbath rest in ways that actually hurt our neighbor. One pitfall is equating rest with laziness. When we think of Sabbath rest as vegging out (perhaps as an occasion to binge-watch a favorite show), we are practicing a selfish, malformed version of rest that gives no thought to what our neighbor needs. Another temptation is what Bennett calls “otherworking,” as in substituting one form of work for another—when, for example, we physically leave our workplace but bring work home, or when we take a break from paid work but use that break to accomplish other tasks. These forms of “rest” are neither restful nor oriented toward our neighbor’s welfare.

Quoted material ends. 

This paragraph addresses exactly what we get wrong because we can't believe that we can spend a day focused only on worship, prayer, relationship, ministry.  We have to do laundry, get groceries, patronize restaurants, answer email.   At least we are convinced that we do.  And why not spend it watching a favorite show?  

Sabbath rest should not be a legalistic endeavor, because then we are back to focusing on ourselves and how holy we are for practicing Sabbath rest.  But having a life principle is not the same as legalism, or at least it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be.  It does take the discipline not to displace all the other "I'll get to those later" activities to Sunday.  (And I know, Sunday is not the Sabbath.  It's the principle that one day a week is needed for restoration.)  

Maybe our Mondays would be less horrendous back at work or school if we had rested!  Even still, that makes the Sabbath more about "me," as if fasting were for weight control more than a time of focused prayer. It's not about "me," otherwise it's just a vacation.