Stephen Barkley
Those who are called to ministry, whether in an official or unofficial capacity, are met with all kinds of pressure and busyness that requires intentional resistance. Mindless acculturation into the kingdoms of this world leave ministers exhausted and unable to serve. In order to resist this pressure, Marva J. Dawn advocates for a Sabbath way-of-life.
This Sabbath way-of-life requires four main habits:
- Resting
- Ceasing
- Feasting
- Embracing
The greatest strength of The Sense of the Call is how deeply it is informed by Dawn’s influences. She liberally quotes and explores the thinking of people like Eugene Peterson, Wendell Barry, Henri Nouwen, John Howard Yoder, Gerhard Forde, and Abraham Heschel. Her use of Jacques Ellul’s interpretation of the powers (the topic of her doctoral dissertation) is particularly insightful.
This book serves as a good introduction to Marva Dawn. It’s full of the themes that comprise many of her other books. For example, her chapter on “The Principalities and Powers” draws heavily on her Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God. Indeed, this entire book can be understood as reshaping of Keeping the Sabbath Wholly. That’s both a strength and a weakness. Yes, she recapitulates her earlier work, but it’s a message that the Western church desperately needs to learn.
Dawn, Marva J. The Sense of the Call: A Sabbath Way of Life for Those Who Serve God, the Church, and the World. Eerdmans, 2006.
