The most impactful book I read in 2023. The timing was impeccable. It spoke to me in ways I didn't know I needed about feeling seen for not wanting to live such a modern life. I started experimenting with taking half or full days of sabbath. I went to a bible study at the beach in northern Michigan to hear John's story about how Jesus turned water into wine.
This book persuaded me to start reading the Bible. As of the end of 2023, I read Job, Genesis, and Exodus and am currently pausing to fall back in love with the act of reading that feels less dry.
Some notable quotes:
“The sabbath is not only a day of rest but also for our souls to be open.” (35)
“Hurry kills relationships. Love takes time; hurry doesn’t have it.” (52)
“Attention is the beginning is devotion.” - Mary Oliver (53)
—> what am I devoting my life to? Where do I want to channel and devote my energy, mana or attention to?
“What if the day, what if time itself isn’t a scarce resource to seize but a gift to receive with grateful joy?” (251)
“Jesus isn’t anti-command, not by a long shot. But for Jesus, leadership isn’t about coercion and control; it’s about example and invitation.
He didn’t command us to follow his practices; neither did he give lectures on how to do them or offer Saturday morning workshops on developing your own rule of life. he simply set the example of a whole new way to “carry life”; then he turned around and said, “If you’re tired of the way you’ve been doing it and want rest for your souls, then come, take up the easy yoke, and copy the details of my life.” (114)
