The Rest of God

I discovered a jewel among the $1.99 books at Savers here in Phoenix, AZ. It was a spanking new hardcover copy of "The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath" written in 2006 by Canadian pastor/author Mark Buchanan. If you're not familiar with Buchanan, he is the author of several volumes written in the style and with a similar theological/spiritual insight as Eugene Peterson. I enjoy Buchanan's writing very much and I highly recommend this book.

Because of my passion for all things worship, this book caught my eye as I perused the store's bookshelf. I was curious to see how he would treat the subject of Sabbath – a word biblically connected to worship. Would he try to convince Christians to worship on Friday/Saturday, the Sabbath of the Old Testament? I quickly and happily discovered he was going in a different direction. Buchanan would devote these pages to inspiring his readers to set apart a day and develop an attitude, a perspective, an orientation - "a Sabbath heart, not just a Sabbath day. A Sabbath heart is restful even in the midst of unrest and upheaval. It is attentive to the presence of God and others …. It is still and knows God even when mountains fall into the sea." (p.4)

"The Rest of God" calls us to heed Jesus' invitation: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) Through fourteen chapters, Buchanan delivers insightful exposition and suggests soul-scouring application of the many Scripture passages addressing God's rest.
 
Major themes include: thinking anew, paying attention, seeing God's bigness, redeeming the time, letting go, stopping legalism, practicing God's presence, wasting time on purpose, becoming whole, hungering and thirsting, listening, and practicing heaven.

Each chapter ends in what the author calls a "Sabbath Liturgy," a practical exercise to apply the truths just explored.
 
In order to "still" ourselves to know God, one must "stop" what one is doing. And that doing for most of us during most of our day is working at a job. That job might be working for an employer across town, it might be for yourself from your home, or it might be as the primary caregiver for a newborn or the dying. In whatever situation, our outlook on work colors our idea of rest. "To embrace the rest of God we need a right view of work."
 
In chapter one, Buchanan explains that when our work is seen as a gift from God we can offer it to Him as an act of worship. "…simple tasks – preparing sermons, cooking soup, cutting grass, growing corn – when done [in a spirit of thanksgiving and faith] are holy. It is all the Lord's work [a calling from Him]. Virtually any job, no matter how grueling or tedious – any job that is not criminal or sinful – can be a gift from God, through God, and to God. The work of our hands, the alchemy of our devotion, becomes the worship of our hearts." (pg. 24-25)
 
When our work is performed in honor of Him, our rest from it is not a diversion or an escape but the opportunity "to rest in Him in the midst of our threats and our burdens" (pg.17). Rest then, is not medication to mask our pain, but time and effort devoted to recapturing the wholeness God intends for His creation through an intimate relationship with the Creator.

Sabbath Liturgy – Work: "The next time you're tempted to complain about your work, praise God for it instead. The next time you open your mouth to gossip about people you work with or smear those you work for, stop yourself and turn in the other direction: pray for them, thank God for them, find the good in them. The next time you want to quit, pour that into worship." (pg. 27) Wow, that's a sobering challenge; harder than it looks, but worth every ounce of effort.
 
My intention for this Searching For Sanctuary blog over the upcoming postings is to interact with you about each chapter of this insightful and captivating book. Together we'll begin a journey to find God's rest and rejuvenation of our souls.
 
I invite you to get hold of your own copy of "The Rest of God." It would be wonderful for a group of us scattered around the nation (maybe the world) to discuss these great themes of biblical spiritual transformation. You can purchase it through Amazon.com or search the shelves at your local Goodwill, Savers, or used or new bookstore. Check with your local public library to see if they have it in circulation. (I checked with the Phoenix (AZ) Public Library - they have two copies.)

Until next time….