The Nature of Sabbath

On today’s podcast, Dan reflects on his year-long academic sabbatical from teaching at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, which began on January 1. He discusses the idea of a sabbatical as an extended Sabbath—an opportunity to rest and turn our hearts again to the work of God in the world. Dan also shares some of what’s ahead for his sabbatical: finishing a 25-year retrospective of The Wounded Heart, exploring his fascination with fish, and taking a stab at writing a novel (you won’t want to miss the details about that).

“I don’t think a sabbatical is something that only academics or a few privileged people in the world have a chance to experience. I think it is something akin to the rhythm of how we are meant to live life. It is a significant period of time in which one lives what we are given each week: the opportunity to know Sabbath.”

“We can’t talk about sabbatical without talking about what it means to Shabbat—to rest, to have Sabbath on a weekly basis. […] Sabbath is moving us toward the culmination of what all of life is about: the coming day of the Lord Jesus Christ, when all things are put right, and where all mercy is extended and restoration is received by all.”