Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play by Joel BiermannMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is an invitation to meditate on the biggest questions of life: What is God doing? Why am I here? Where is this all going? Dr. Biermann focuses on Day Seven of Creation and its implications for life in Christ today. On Day 7: “Creator and creation are living according to God’s good plan. And Adam and Eve are right in the middle of it all, celebrating with God. This is the underlying context for what will eventually one day be called the Third Commandment."
“God marking the completion of his extraordinary masterpiece. God sets aside an entire day simply to soak in the sheer joy and delight of the perfection he had accomplished.”
In this light he ponders important topics: work, rightly understood, as essential to human flourishing, along with rest, leisure (schole), and play.
This book includes a wonderful reflection on play as delight and even “an intrusion of eternity into this world,” as well as a call to appreciate the transcendentals (goodness, truth, and beauty).
There is even a beautiful reflection on the absurdity of sleep, which the author describes as “daily declaration that humans live only and always as God’s contingent creatures.”
This is a grace-filled reflection that leads not to inventing rules or guilt-driven ways of practicing “sabbath,” but instead offers a clearer glimpse into the heart of God for His Creation, His aims in redemption, and His invitation to His people to taste the first fruits even now.
Highly recommend!
(Looking for people to discuss this one! Maybe a future book club pick!)
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