Reclaiming Rest
The Promise of Sabbath, Solitude, and Stillness in a Restless World
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Stillness. Prayer. Sabbath. In a restless world, what do those words even mean?
Public health expert Kate H. Rademacher grew up thinking it was up to humans to bring healing and justice to earth. Saving the world meant working long hours, answering emails day or night, and competing for professional awards and funding. In an era of pandemic, racial injustice, and deepening inequality, who's got time for a nap?
Stressed out and frazzled, Rademacher landed on the Christian story, in which a sought-after Savior retreats to solitary places and prays alone in the wilderness. In the pages of Reclaiming Rest, Rademacher tells the story of a year of monthly Sabbath retreats, during which she withdraws from family and work obligations for periods of solitude. She also experiments with disciplines like walking, praying, taking a break from social media, and finding a Sabbath buddy. In lyrical and astute prose, Rademacher teases out answers to questions like: What does rest in a restless world look like? How is Sabbath connected to issues of justice? Vocation? Parenting? Simplicity?
Ultimately, Rademacher claims, Sabbath pierces our illusions of self-reliance and control, and that's good news. What if keeping the Sabbath is not only a commandment to obey but a freedom to reclaim?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Memoirist Rademacher (Following the Red Bird) reflects on the meaning and necessity of rest in this elegant work. Embracing the spiritually grounded practice of rest, she writes, "has slowly transformed my life." What began for her as a struggle to avoid professional burnout (which she calls "anorexia of the soul") evolved into an exploration and practice of the Judeo-Christian tradition of Sabbath rest, as taught by ancient rabbis and practiced by Jesus, by "reclaiming a 24/6 schedule" which incorporates a Sunday sabbath, and "cultivating moments of rest" in one's daily life. Rademacher also addresses those who feel the work of social justice or combating inequality requires constant energy and attention. Arguing that only when one feels "relief from having to save the world" can the personal and emotional space for real connection occur, Rademacher explains how "godly grace beyond... control" allowed her to move tentatively toward becoming "bilingual"—speaking both the language of faith and the language of rational effort for social justice and progress. This theologically provocative work will speak to Christians looking for ways to slow down in a hectic world.
