Book Review
Norman Wirzba’s Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight(Brazos Press, 2006)
by Rev. Dr. Larry Golemon, RDM Co-Director
Norman Wirzba’s book is groundbreaking and substantive. Many such books focus on the Biblical roots of the Sabbath, Sunday practice, or spirituality. Wirzba incorporates a bit of all three into a strong ethical approach to Sabbath as a way of life—for individuals, families, and communities of faith.
The author grew up on a family farm, and he draws on that experience to remind us how close we can be to the land, fruits of the earth, and animals—especially by honoring all Creation with Sabbath rest. He is very ecumenical, with education and teaching in Protestant, evangelical, and Catholic communities. But he is an ethicist front and center, in a way that brings Sabbath to bear on the life issues of work, food, daily economics, the environment, and home life. The broad framework of thinking about Sabbath life is what makes this book unique.
One of the major themes for Wirzba is delight—ours and God’s. Sabbath rest is not just about taking time out from the pressures of daily life, it is stepping back to notice all that is good—just as God did in creation. The author digs into Biblical passages of Genesis 1 and 2, Deuteronomy 8, Exodus 20 and 23, Proverbs 8, and Psalm 123 (to name a few) to lift up the Jewish concept of menuha, which means complete tranquility. God does not fall asleep on the Sabbath; instead God sits back to bless all creation as good and to take delight in it. This divine delight is the root of Sabbath life for the author; and it is a radical challenge to how we live today. Instead of the endless pursuit to acquire bits of creation for ourselves, “we will learn to realign all of our activities so that they better manifest a life of gratitude and praise” (24).
Wirzba is like a Jeremiah who calls into question how most of us live. We go to the grocery store and purchase fruits, vegetables and meats without any idea of where they come from. We embrace largely outdated images of small farm production that are designed to make us forget the pesticide-ridden farms of agri-business and the inhumane and drug-filled treatment of animals waiting for slaughter. We are run ragged by the pace of work, domestic chores, media saturation, and internet demands; and worse we teach our children the same thing through frantic schedules of homework, sports, chores, and after school activities. The space for genuine, creative play has been lost for all of us. Curiously, all this activity has created a profound boredom with everyday life—as deadlines and routines prevent us from sitting back to take true delight, to prioritize what is most important, and to linger in our relationships with others. This paradox of constant change and boredom is named by Wendell Barry, the philosopher-farmer ,now of blessed memory, who wrote the foreword to Wirzba’s book.
There is a profound Christology—or understanding of Jesus—at the root of this book. Wirzba stresses the new life that Jesus brings to us in the resurrection—not only for the life to come, but most importantly for this life, now. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection inaugurate a new creation that is redemptive of humans and all the created order. He draws on numerous passages from the New Testament (eg. Luke 17, Galatians 5, Romans 8, and Hebrews 4) to link Jesus’ Sabbath-keeping with healing, wholeness, and divine hospitality for all people. The author gets a little heady at times by drawing on philosophers like Renee Girard about the mimesis (imitation) of violence around us and the scapegoating of others to explain it away (as we do with immigrants today). But his point is that the inherent pain, suffering, and violence in human life and creation (have you watched killer whales torture their prey before devouring them?) are brought full stop in Jesus’ death—as he bears these and the sins that often cause them for the sake of redemption. The cycles of violence in the world are halted so that a new space for peaceful relations, thanksgiving, and a joyful life are created. The author affirms that God suffers in and with Jesus’ death, so that we can “be transformed by the suffering of God…and then from (this) perspective… welcome the whole creation with humility, care, gratitude, and the overall aim of celebration” (88).
The book does get practical—don’t worry. Wirzba addresses the implications of Sabbath for forms of work for ourselves and others that are meaningful, just, relational, and which allows for creativity that honors God’s ongoing creation. He calls us for the creation of Sabbath homes that are shelters from the harsh world, places of joy and intimacy, and schools of faithfulness. One suggestion is around food: “If as Sabbath people we were to insists on regular family meals and turn our eating into a focal practice, this would constitute a revolutionary witness to the world…” precisely because this calls us to cook and eat together, choose just and healthy foods, and cherish meals as a time to re-connect with one another. The author also illustrates the centrality of Sabbath-life to economics: especially its keeping all people close to the land and production, honoring everyone’s household as primary beneficiaries, and making production and wealth accessible to all the people. The implications for our own lives are around prioritizing spending with meaningful goals in life, targeting our giving to make a difference, and getting churches to talk more about economics than just the stewardship drive. Wirzba address Sabbath education as a “transformation of our desire” (132) to delight in the goodness of creation, to honor the dignity and needs of our neighbors, and to value the power of community. In addition, the author calls us to a Sabbath Environmentalism that learns about the growing dangers of climate-change, water overuse and shortage, the over-use of land, and the unequal distribution of the earth’s goods. Sabbath living honors God’s creation and what it undergoes all the time through seasons of rest and rejuvenation: “Creation itself has something to teach us about rest. If we are attentive to the world, we will quickly see that Sabbaths are going on all around us” (152). And finally, Wirzba brings Sabbath worship home as the culmination of Sabbath living: that Sunday worship shapes a life of wonder and honor of all people and creatures, the recognition of God’s grace and presence in daily life, and leads us to a life of service.
In the end, I highly recommend this book for those who want to broaden their framework for reflecting upon and enacting the Sabbath. There are broad ethical and policy implications here, as well as practical challenges to Christian households and congregations. But take heed: this is not a quick read, so set aside the time to ingest this rich, complex and insightful book.
And if you’re looking for more from Dr. Wirzba, follow this link to watch his talk at our Sabbath Symposium Event from October 2021. And sign up on to be included on our email list to stay updated on more upcoming events like this.
