Recommended by Union University President, Dr. Dub, last year when asked about how he manages his time, I immediately put this book on my “need to read” list. Blame it on being an Enneagram 1 or a Type A personality, but I struggle with having the freedom to rest, and I have often wondered about the concept of keeping the Sabbath. This book seemed like a good way to explore both of these ideas.
For many years, the author served as an ER doctor in Maine. He became a believer later in life. His storytelling is strong, and he is very down to earth, making this book an easy read. It’s also not preachy or judgmental, which I appreciated.
I dare say all of us are familiar with the 10 Commandments. The fourth one is to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” The premise of the book is that we are supposed to stop one out of every seven days and mark the day as holy.
Sleeth points out a variety of solid truths from picking this verse apart. He begins the book by looking at the manmade construct of time and the Jewish Sabbath vs. the Christian’s Lord’s Day. He talks about living in a 24/7 world and insists that if we want to have a weekly day of rest, a Sabbath, it will have to be a matter of conscious choice. He explores the concept of legalism and how it has been applied to the Sabbath, distorting its original purpose.
Sleeth calls it Stop Day, which I really like. It is a day to practice restraint from all we could do, a day “meant to protect the worker and to set the stage for a celebration of God.” It is meant to be “a refuge, not a prison.” He is certainly an advocate for work, and working hard, but also for stopping one day a week to rest and refocus on God. “The purpose of work is to live and glorify God,”, which echoes Colossians 3:23. We need a Stop Day to “remember why and for whom we are working.” Perhaps most importantly, Sabbath is not taking one day a week as vacation. It actually “balances the active parts of life with the holy parts” and should be approached with a sense of awe and expectation.
The book concludes with some real practical implementation ideas related to worship, parenting, having a job that includes work on Sundays, and so on. I highly recommend this book, as it helped me see Stop Day as a gift from my Father who loves me, who wants to fellowship with me more deeply on the Sabbath and equip me for the rest of the week.
You can get 24/6 through Interlibrary Loan.
Melissa Moore’s reviews reflect her personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.
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