Really enjoyed this and very much challenged to stop taking on the worldƒ??s idolisation of busyness. ( )

The Art of Rest dares to explore a subject that is little understood by western Christians: the biblical idea of rest. In a world of over-filled calendars and bursting-at-the-seems schedules, Adam Mabry offers a perspective that is much needed and sorely lacking.

As someone who operates as a Big Time Doer, I needed Mabry's thoughts. Like most Americans, I can tend to think that if you are busy then you are important. So, the busier, the better! Alas, Scripture sets out a different pattern of life - a blessed rhythm weaving in hard work and purposeful rest. Mabry roots his argumentation in the truth of Scripture. He wants the reader to see that "Rest is the privilege of sons, but only the dream of slaves" (104).

This book is a must-read for, well, anyone who is American. I think American society is so rife with poorly defined thinking on rest that this book is helpful to us all. It is a quick read that will leave you rethinking all of those over-commitments that vex your calendar. I am still pondering how to better implement his suggestions, as I see a real need in my own life to follow the biblical pattern of rest and hard work. The Art of Rest is a great roadmap on that journey! ( )