Sabbath: The Ancient Practices

What would you do for twenty-four hours if the only criteria were to pursue your deepest joy?Dan Allender?s lyrical book about the Sabbath expels the myriad myths about this ?day of rest,? starting with the one that paints the Sabbath as a day of forced quiet, spiritual exercises, and religious devotion and attendance. This, he says, is at odds with the ancient tradition of Sabbath as a day of delight for both body and soul. Instead, the only way we can make use of the Sabbath is to see God?s original intent for the day with new eyes. In Sabbath, Allender builds a case for delight by looking at this day as a festival that celebrates God?s re-creative, redemptive love using four components:Sensual glory and beautyRitualCommunal feastingPlayfulnessNow you can experience the delight of the Sabbath as you never have before?a day in which you receive and extend reconciliation, peace, abundance, and joy.The Ancient PracticesThere is a hunger in every human heart for connection, primitive and raw, to God. To satisfy it, many are beginning to explore traditional spiritual disciplines used for centuries . . . everything from fixed-hour prayer to fasting to sincere observance of the Sabbath. Compelling and readable, the Ancient Practices series is for every spiritual sojourner, for every Christian seeker who wants more.About the AuthorDr. Dan Allender for 30 years has pioneered a unique therapy centered around his innovative theory and training in transforming betrayal, ambivalence, and powerlessness into faith, hope and love. Through identifying and engaging these experiences into a personal narrative, he has seen healing occur in countless individual lives by connecting the story of the gospel to people?s universal heart wound stories. After receiving his Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary, Dr. Allender earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. Dan taught in the Biblical Counseling department of Grace Theological Seminary for seven years (1983-1989). From 1989-1997, Dan worked as professor in the Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling program at Colorado Christian University in Denver. In 1997, Dan and a cadre of others founded The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, training therapists, pastors, artists, and leaders to serve more effectively in 21st-century contexts. Dan served as President of The Seattle School from 2002-2009, and then founded The Allender Center with his wife Becky and Cathy Loerzel. He is currently Professor of Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School, and founder of The Allender Center, traveling and speaking extensively to present on trauma, sexual abuse recovery, love and forgiveness, intimacy, and related topics. He?s a popular podcaster with over a million listeners on The Allender Center podcast, the author of Healing the Wounded Heart, The Wounded Heart(over 500k sold), The Healing Path, To Be Told, and God Loves Sex, and with co-author Dr. Tremper Longman, Intimate Allies, The Cry of the Soul, Bold Love, and Bold Purpose.