Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World

I prayed for guidance, and this book entered my life. So simple an idea, yet so profound a reality! I have been a high school English teacher for 24 long years now, and I had always graded papers on the weekend, trying to “catch up.” The result was feeling even more burnt out and less rested. This book spoke to my soul. As I read, it became more and more clear the our Living God was offering me the gift of Sabbath. Again, so simple, yet so profound! I immediately accepted God’s gift and have been entering Sabbath on Saturdays for the last six or seven weeks. What a change! I look forward to Saturdays more than ever now! I spend the day with Jesus—walking in His creation, reading spiritual books, meditating, praying, napping. Time has taken on new meaning on Saturdays: There are no clocks for me. No rules. No time constraints. No stress. No thoughts of work. I am a little boy again, spending the day in God’s playground! It is wonderful! And this book was God’s invitation to me! Thank you, Brother Swoboda, for writing God’s invitation🙏

This is one of my favorite resources for Sabbath keeping. It is practical, informational, and clear concerning Sabbath. It has expanded my understanding in delightful ways!

It was a needed school book and worked great!

Very insightful & helpful. So excited to begin implementing a weekly Sabbath in our lives.

A. J. Swoboda has made an extremely helpful and much needed contribution in Subversive Sabbath. Sabbath is a command, and it has been fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Observing the sabbath is not only a matter of obedience, but of wisdom. The sabbath has been established; it has also been given by God. Jesus observed sabbath. And in a world that is constantly on the go, perhaps there is no other practice demanding renewed attention than that of sabbath.Swoboda treats several themes in this book, including time, work, health, relationships, the creation, the economy, the poor, technology, witness, worship, and discipleship, all in light of the sabbath. He does so with examples drawn from pastoral ministry, scholarly findings in disciplines other than theology, and while paying close attention to the Bible. This book has vast range, and is all the more valuable for it.I plan to recommend this book to seminarians in my community, and to take some of its lessons and integrate them into my own walk with Christ. Excellent work.

This is a book you need if you want to do sabbath right & know more. One of my favorite

This was required reading foe a class. Great Choice! I truly enjoyed it. Swoboda gave me something to think about as he described what sabbath is and why it is important. No legalism. I have been keeping a sort of sabbath that worked for me but was longing for mor. Swoboda helped guide me in that direction.

Rarely do I read a book cover to cover, but this book is so interesting and well-written--I hated for it to end. This fall I'm using Subversive Sabbath as the course text in my Life Ministry Institute class on managing time.Here are just a few of my favorite lines from chapter one:"To do, one must first remember.""To keep a Sabbath is to give time and space on our calendar to the grace of God.""Work hard and rest well.""When we say we don't have time to rest, we cannot find time for something that has already been found.""Adam and Eve were invited to 'keep' that seventh day holy. Do not mistread the text: they were not to make the Sabbath holy. Humans cannot make anything holy." "Sabbath rest is no sign of weakness or sinfulness--God himself rested. Is God weak?"

I had high hopes for this book but part way through reading I find that the author celebrates The Sabbath midweek and eats bacon. Maybe minor things, but for me, The Sabbath is the seventh day (a Saturday) and bacon is an unclean food to be avoided. Once I got to the above points, I was unable to read any more of the book.

This book is exceptional. It’s changing my life. I’ve only rarely ever said such a thing about a book. Read it! May it prove to be the valuable re-orienting to you that it has been for me.

Amazing book about the practice of Sabbath in the Christian life. Swoboda outlines clearly the ‘hows’ and the ‘whys’ for a day of rest for all.