i am reading this amazing book right now.? here are some things i’ve highlighted so far…it’s truly enlightening. i realize it’s a bit long, and it takes a little time to read, but it is so rich, i really recommend you invest a few minutes in absorbing this.
- technical civilization is man’s conquest of space.? it is a triumph frequently achieved by sacrificing an essential ingredient of existence, namely, time.? in technical civilization, we expend time to gain space? to enhance our power in the world of space is our main objective.? yet to have more does not mean to be more.? the power we attain in the world of space terminates abruptly at the borderline of time.? but time is the heart of existence.
- there is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord.
- we have often suffered from the degradation by poverty, now we are threatened with the degradation through power.? there is a happiness in the love of labor, there is misery in the love of gain.
- many hearts and pitchers are broken at the fountain of profit.
- to retain the holy, to perpetuate the presence of god, his image is fashioned.? yet a god who can be fashioned, a god who can be confined, is but a shadow of a man.
- time to us is sarcasm, a slick treacherous monster with a jaw like a furnace incinerating every moment of our lives.? shrinking, therefore, from facing time, we escape for shelter to things of space.
- the bible is more concerned with time than with space.? it sees the world in the dimension of time. it pays more attention to generations, to events, than to countries, to things; it is more concerned with history than geography.
- the sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays; the weekdays are for the sake of the sabbath.? it is not an interlude but the climax of living.
- it must always be remembered that the sabbath is not an occasion for diversion or frivolity; not a day to shoot fireworks or to turn somersaults, but an opportunity to mend our tattered lives; to collect rather than to dissipate time.
- labor without dignity is the cause of misery; rest without spirit is the source of depravity.
and i am only 18 pages in…
this is what gets me though
- two things the people of rome anxiously desired — bread and circus games.? but man does not live by bread and circus games alone.? who will teach him how to desire anxiously the spirit of a sacred day?
the answer? it’s supposed to be us.
this jacks with me big time.
because we can’t teach how to desire something we don’t ourselves yet desire.
Comments
20 responses to “some thoughts on time and sabbath”
wow. after reading very slowly..so i can catch everything, wow. maybe i should pick up a copy to read as well.
I read this book last year and it completely transformed me, and our family. I LOVE this book, and Heschel. I’ve shared it with friends, but it’s been hard for them to “get”. Anne, Sabbath is the one and only cure for burnout.
One other thing that to me, was liberating about the true concept of Sabbath: It actually gave me the freedom to be more productive. God only intended for us to have ONE day off – we have come to expect TWO (to accommodate Jews, Christians, and our economic system), and so we feel guilty for working on Saturday, or Sunday. Or we rush to finish what we can’t get done. But when you make the most of those six days, building up to the celebration of the one, glorious celebration of God’s goodness – it makes you more productive, and more appreciative of that one day.
If you can’t tell, I’m huge on this. I could write and write on the implications of Sabbath.Thanks for posting!
Wow, I’m going to have to get my hands on this book!
If you like sabbath then i would also recommend Lawrence kushner’s god was in this place and i, i did not know it as well as heschels other books.
I’d like to read Kushner – I’ve read a bit of his smaller stuff, but I have read God In Search of Man by Kushner – also a FANTASTIC read.
I’m convinced… this book just got added to my list.
I love Sabbath. I too have been reading and searching for God’s Sabbath in my life. I have experienced how noise and busyness drowns out the voice of God in my life. I love this quote from Philip Yancy’s book on Prayer,
“I became more convinced than ever that God finds ways to communicate to those who truly seek God, especially when we lower the volume of the surrounding static.”
Sabbath leads me back to the center of God’s peace and mercy over my life.
Can’t wait to hear more about this book. Thanks for sharing.
so hard to slow down when running so fast. working on this myself.
I get it – and I struggle with it too! I am at that place of learning to truly live the walk I walk. I think we get to this place in life, in Christianity, when we live we hit the pinnacle. It is like we simply start to exist….going to church and doing all the ‘good things’ but we forget about this relationship with Christ that never climaxes. That relationship should cause the desire for more. This is making me think…only 18 pages…I might need to go get this book!
interesting, anne…
much of that resonates with me. not sure, though, that i fully concur with the next to last bullet point (“it must always…”). seems to restrict the spirit of sabbath too much: if a person finds joy and celebration of God through somersaults, how is does that contradict the intent of sabbath?
still, looks to be a worthwhile read :)
Sounds like a good book. I am reading a John Eldredge book right now and writing one of my own. I have commented and written you in the past. Do you respond to your comments or e-mails?
Just started reading…about 1/3 of the way through, and couldn’t agree with you more. Great book. Have you read anything else from Heschel?
My favorite:
“the sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays; the weekdays are for the sake of the sabbath. it is not an interlude but the climax of living.”
I am struggling with how to do this, being a 24/7 caregiver, without available respite.
I love reading books on the Sabbath. This one’s on my list.
I’m reading throught the old testament now and just realizing how important it is to God to observe the Sabbath. He constantly reminds the Israelites to rest. It’s a matter of obiedience…and I’m definitely out of line right now.
Wow! Everyday I pass a school called Joshua Abraham Heschel !!
INow, I will definilty read this book. I never asked myself who Heschel was!
Thank you Anne!
is that the english language? i recognize the words, but they are in strange combination. i must be too dumb for this book.
This is incredible insight. I’ll be unpacking these thoughts for some time. I love, “There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord.” WOW!!
Thanks for sharing and now I’m excited to read this, too
Anne,
Many I encourage you also to read Mark Buchanan’s book, The Rest of God. It’s an amazing journey through God’s sabbath blessing.