Scan barcode
annaisjoyful's review against another edition
3.0
I had to take what the author said with caution, as she quotes from Brene Brown (if a Christian author is as loved by non-Christians as Christians, alarm bells!!) and seems to take The Message with equal weight as Bible translations. That said, I can’t take these things to mean she knows nothing and I can’t learn from what she has to say.
Some good points, and things to think through and aspire to. Undoubtedly, sabbath each week and rhythms of rest as good things. Preparing throughout the week for rest is something I noticed in the scripture before (collecting two days of manna to then collect none) but giving examples of how to do this was helpful.
There’s a lot in the book which comes from personal experience rather than scripture, which isn’t a bad thing, but a better balance could have been good.
A bit self-helpy but actually helpful in some ways. Missed a lot of the worship side of sabbath in my opinion, focusing on the (physical) rest side.
The audiobook was a bit annoying, especially the different accents for different people writing in to the author.
Some good points, and things to think through and aspire to. Undoubtedly, sabbath each week and rhythms of rest as good things. Preparing throughout the week for rest is something I noticed in the scripture before (collecting two days of manna to then collect none) but giving examples of how to do this was helpful.
There’s a lot in the book which comes from personal experience rather than scripture, which isn’t a bad thing, but a better balance could have been good.
A bit self-helpy but actually helpful in some ways. Missed a lot of the worship side of sabbath in my opinion, focusing on the (physical) rest side.
The audiobook was a bit annoying, especially the different accents for different people writing in to the author.
theseasoul's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
|| 4 ⭐️ ||
One of my goals this year is to take the Sabbath seriously and cultivate exactly this: a rhythm of rest.
Shelly Miller approaches the topic of Sabbath and rest in such a gentle, poetic way, that even reading this book was rejuvenating. She offers an approach to Sabbath that is attainable in the real world, even for busy people who may feel like they don’t have time for it. She offers practical tidbits of advice on making rest a reality, as well as re-centres our focus with what Sabbath is actually all about: resting in the knowledge that God is enough, and He will supply all of our needs even when we aren’t striving. A great reminder that our works don’t bring us salvation: He still loves us the same when we aren’t constantly doing.
While I wasn’t a fan of her quoting The Message so often, or the occasional “prophetic words” from friends she talked about, her perspective was mostly biblically grounded and insightful.
jolantheerb's review against another edition
3.0
While there were some great insights and reminders on creating Sabbath times, the constant blog comments and emails were really distracting to me and broke up the text, making the flow disjointed.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, my five point review:
When you think about the concept of Sabbath, what are your initial reactions? I don't think American Christians practice Sabbath very well. I know I don't--though I have tried to change routines of my week so that things like grocery shopping and cleaning don't get pushed to Sundays after church. When I've talked to my friends about Sabbath, words that come up often include legalistic, difficult, rigid. What I love about Rhythms of Rest is that Shelly Miller encourages us, as Christians, to push back against these notions and embrace the rest of Sabbath through grace.
What exactly does that mean, embracing the rest of Sabbath through grace? Miller encourages flexibility and grace with the hows of Sabbath in your life. She doesn't read the Bible as saying that we need to do x, y, and z to experience and practice Sabbath rest. As I am rereading that, I realize that could look to some as a misinterpretation of scripture... but I don't think it is. The timing of your Sabbath can vary depending on your profession, family life, and weekly schedule. God isn't legalistic and His call to rest may vary depending on your stage of life: caring for babies can't stop on Sundays, after all. Those in ministry work on Sundays, so their day of rest should be a different day. The author gives lots of great examples of how you can rest in Sabbath, and also encourages you to seek God to see how He is calling you to do so.
The examples are one of the best parts of this book. Each chapter includes various stories and situations (many gleaned from the author's Sabbath Society) about Sabbath rest, challenges, and suggestions. The suggestions are simple (move your chores to Saturday, make soup on Saturday to eat on Sunday, etc.) but they are powerful: great illustrations of how one act can set the stage for rest.
The end of the book has a section with questions for each chapter. I think these questions could be used in a variety of ways: a Bible study or small group (maybe even read some of the scripture passages in each chapter to enhance your discussion), personal journaling, family conversation... lots of options! Though Miller provides simple suggestions for change, these questions are not simple--many are deep and thought-provoking.
My one caution with the book has to do with how the author interprets the hows and whys of hard life situations, like miscarriage and illness. She shares so many personal stories from her own life (like her desire to move to London) and from her friends, acquaintances, and participants in her Sabbath Society. Her understanding and explanation of the situations can be a little harsh and perhaps(!) not entirely Biblical. At the very least, her views, to me, are not theologically sound and could be discouraging, triggering, or offensive to some people. I'm not saying she's right or wrong--it's hard to know without more information. But putting them in print seems a little iffy to me, and was my one hang up with the book. Overall though, I found Rhyhms of Rest to be encouraging and challenging. I would definitely recommend it to others.
To sum it up...
Following God's call to Sabbath has become something I have felt more convicted about in recent years, especially since the birth of my son. My husband and I work full time so it's hard to get everything done around the house AND spend quality time as a family on the weekend AND carve out space for the Lord. I've especially been thinking about how I want to model my faith for my son. I think practicing Sabbath and teaching rest is so important.
Recently I read an article about Sabbath that has GREAT suggestions for celebrating the Sabbath with kids. Many of them will have to wait until my son is older, but some are still doable now. I'm going to close with a quote included in that article that has really stuck with me.
“Did it ever occur to you, as a parent that between the birth and the age of twenty-one years there are three solid years of Sundays — an amount of time almost equal to the number of years given to an entire course of college training? The Creator has not laid upon parents the responsibilities of parenthood without giving them ample time and opportunity to discharge these obligations to Him, to themselves, and to their children.”
-- Sylvanus Stall, D.D.
Things to think about! Even though the reality of implementing rest is challenging, it is so important! I'd love to hear your thoughts about Sabbath in the comments.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!
When you think about the concept of Sabbath, what are your initial reactions? I don't think American Christians practice Sabbath very well. I know I don't--though I have tried to change routines of my week so that things like grocery shopping and cleaning don't get pushed to Sundays after church. When I've talked to my friends about Sabbath, words that come up often include legalistic, difficult, rigid. What I love about Rhythms of Rest is that Shelly Miller encourages us, as Christians, to push back against these notions and embrace the rest of Sabbath through grace.
What exactly does that mean, embracing the rest of Sabbath through grace? Miller encourages flexibility and grace with the hows of Sabbath in your life. She doesn't read the Bible as saying that we need to do x, y, and z to experience and practice Sabbath rest. As I am rereading that, I realize that could look to some as a misinterpretation of scripture... but I don't think it is. The timing of your Sabbath can vary depending on your profession, family life, and weekly schedule. God isn't legalistic and His call to rest may vary depending on your stage of life: caring for babies can't stop on Sundays, after all. Those in ministry work on Sundays, so their day of rest should be a different day. The author gives lots of great examples of how you can rest in Sabbath, and also encourages you to seek God to see how He is calling you to do so.
The examples are one of the best parts of this book. Each chapter includes various stories and situations (many gleaned from the author's Sabbath Society) about Sabbath rest, challenges, and suggestions. The suggestions are simple (move your chores to Saturday, make soup on Saturday to eat on Sunday, etc.) but they are powerful: great illustrations of how one act can set the stage for rest.
The end of the book has a section with questions for each chapter. I think these questions could be used in a variety of ways: a Bible study or small group (maybe even read some of the scripture passages in each chapter to enhance your discussion), personal journaling, family conversation... lots of options! Though Miller provides simple suggestions for change, these questions are not simple--many are deep and thought-provoking.
My one caution with the book has to do with how the author interprets the hows and whys of hard life situations, like miscarriage and illness. She shares so many personal stories from her own life (like her desire to move to London) and from her friends, acquaintances, and participants in her Sabbath Society. Her understanding and explanation of the situations can be a little harsh and perhaps(!) not entirely Biblical. At the very least, her views, to me, are not theologically sound and could be discouraging, triggering, or offensive to some people. I'm not saying she's right or wrong--it's hard to know without more information. But putting them in print seems a little iffy to me, and was my one hang up with the book. Overall though, I found Rhyhms of Rest to be encouraging and challenging. I would definitely recommend it to others.
To sum it up...
Following God's call to Sabbath has become something I have felt more convicted about in recent years, especially since the birth of my son. My husband and I work full time so it's hard to get everything done around the house AND spend quality time as a family on the weekend AND carve out space for the Lord. I've especially been thinking about how I want to model my faith for my son. I think practicing Sabbath and teaching rest is so important.
Recently I read an article about Sabbath that has GREAT suggestions for celebrating the Sabbath with kids. Many of them will have to wait until my son is older, but some are still doable now. I'm going to close with a quote included in that article that has really stuck with me.
“Did it ever occur to you, as a parent that between the birth and the age of twenty-one years there are three solid years of Sundays — an amount of time almost equal to the number of years given to an entire course of college training? The Creator has not laid upon parents the responsibilities of parenthood without giving them ample time and opportunity to discharge these obligations to Him, to themselves, and to their children.”
-- Sylvanus Stall, D.D.
Things to think about! Even though the reality of implementing rest is challenging, it is so important! I'd love to hear your thoughts about Sabbath in the comments.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!
redpandaviolin828's review against another edition
5.0
Very good
I think she does a great job of making Sabbath feel attainable and why it is necessary in our lives.
I think she does a great job of making Sabbath feel attainable and why it is necessary in our lives.
nomer15's review against another edition
5.0
Sabbath. A word that calls forth many ideas and misconceptions. In this book, "Rhythms of Rest," Shelly Miller addresses the topic of Sabbath. She seeks to dispel the myths around Sabbath and invites the reader to take steps to integrate Sabbath into a regular weekly routine.With busyness and productivity pushing people to their limits, learning to bring rest into our schedules helps give us space to ultimately enjoy life.
Miller writes beautifully--prose with the soul of poetry. Even reading the book invites the reader to slowly savor it, to linger over the chapters, paragraphs, and phrases. She takes the time to unpack what Sabbath truly is and what it isn't. She shares how Sabbath looks in her life, as well as the lives of those who are part of her "Sabbath Society." I truly appreciated how thought-provoking this book is. It challenged me to see how I can start integrating Sabbath in my life, even in small increments to begin with. This is a truly lovely book that I will return to for fresh encouragement on bringing rest into my life.
(I’ve received this complimentary book from Bethany House Publishers through the Book Blogger program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)
Miller writes beautifully--prose with the soul of poetry. Even reading the book invites the reader to slowly savor it, to linger over the chapters, paragraphs, and phrases. She takes the time to unpack what Sabbath truly is and what it isn't. She shares how Sabbath looks in her life, as well as the lives of those who are part of her "Sabbath Society." I truly appreciated how thought-provoking this book is. It challenged me to see how I can start integrating Sabbath in my life, even in small increments to begin with. This is a truly lovely book that I will return to for fresh encouragement on bringing rest into my life.
(I’ve received this complimentary book from Bethany House Publishers through the Book Blogger program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)
megpsmit's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the way this author focused on the reasons to rest more than rules of rest. I also loved that she wrote it through the lens of the things that God was teaching her.
thesarahsilvester's review against another edition
4.0
I worked my way through this book over the course of the year, and made taking a day to rest my goal throughout. I didn’t always achieve it but this book gave me a lot to chew on and think about, and plenty of reasons to feel good about lying down and reading when there was so much else that needed to be done.
carolineteselle's review against another edition
5.0
Refreshing & convicting for the heart, soul, and mind.