Lynne M. Baab - Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest

Click to view the newest and trending titles in

	CHRISTIAN LIVING IVP Books are deeply biblical and profoundly practical, discussing topics like Christian living, evangelism, apologetics, justice, mission, and cultural engagement.
	ACADEMIC TEXTS & REFERENCE IVP Academic covers disciplines such as theology, philosophy, history, science, psychology, and biblical studies with books ranging from introductory texts to advanced scholarship and authoritative reference works.
	BIBLE STUDIES & GROUP RESOURCES IVP Connect provides Bible studies and small group resources for you and your church, helping individuals and groups discover Gods Word and grow in discipleship.
	SPIRITUAL FORMATION Formatio books follow the rich tradition of the church in the journey of spiritual formation. These books are not merely about being informed, but about being transformed by Christ and conformed to his image.
	CHURCH LEADERSHIP IVP Praxis brings together theory and practice for the advancement of your ministry using sound biblical and theological principles to address the daily challenges of contemporary ministry.

Click below to view more books in these categories

Apologetics	Discipleship	Philosophy
Biblical Studies	Family, Children & Youth	Psychology
Career & Vocation	Fiction	Race & Ethnicity
Church & Culture	Justice/Peace	Science
Church History	Memoir	Theology
Commentaries	Missions & Missiology	Youth Ministry

For a list of IVP email newsletters please visit ivpress.com/newsletters.

InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com
E-mail:

2005 by Lynne M. Baab

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.

InterVarsity Pressis the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept., InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895, or visit the IVCF website at .

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from SABBATH by Wayne Muller, copyright 1999 by Wayne Muller, are used by permission of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Personal stories of sabbath keeping herein are printed by permission.

Design: Cindy Kiple
Images: Darrell Gulin/Getty Images

ISBN 978-0-8308-6827-8 (digital)

ISBN 978-0-8308-3258-3 (print)

This digital document has been produced by Nord Compo.

M ore than one hundred people talked to mein person, by phone or by e-mailabout the sabbath. They come from all over the United States and some other countries as well, and they span a wide range of ages and Christian traditions. I am grateful for their thoughts. I am able to give so many practical suggestions in this book because of the people who took the time to respond to my questions. I thank them all.

I am also indebted to the people who have gone before me as writers about the sabbath. Their insights have shaped my understanding of my own long-held sabbath habit. I knew the sabbath blessed me, but I wasnt sure how to articulate my experiences until I began reading books on the sabbath.

One author to whom I am particularly grateful is Don Postema. He allowed me to interview him when he came to Seattle, and I am still thinking about the things we talked about.

I am also thankful for the people who read my manuscript and made helpful suggestions: Anne Baumgartner, Joleen Burgess, Rev. Doug Early and Rev. Claudia M. Rowe. Dave Zimmerman, my editor at InterVarsity Press, helped me improve the book in many ways. My husband, Dave Baab, has been my loving sabbath partner for more than twenty-five years, and he also helped me with the manuscript. Im grateful to him for that and much more.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day.

I didnt know I was allowed to rest.

I heard these words from a mother with young children just after I had spoken to a Mothers of Preschoolers group about the sabbath. During the discussion time, many of the moms talked about the seven-day-a-week pressure they feel to keep countless balls in the air. They drive their kids to activities, keep the home front organized and clean, fix meals, shop for food and kids clothes and toys and school supplies, and try to give their children a significant amount of undivided attention. Many of them also work part time or full time for pay. They multitask continually, and they find it exhausting.