Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
Week 9: Chapter 8 — Wasting Time: Sabbath and the Gift of Rest
Read Chapter 8 of Liturgy of the Ordinary. Key passages: Genesis 2:1–3; Mark 2:27.
Previewing Week 9 of Liturgy of the Ordinary
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
In a culture that treats productivity as the measure of a person, the command to rest is still radically countercultural — this chapter explores what it actually means to stop.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Warren challenges the assumption that rest is simply the absence of work — something we earn or fall into when productivity is complete. What is her positive theological definition of Sabbath, and how is it different from mere leisure or recreation?
2.She writes about the cultural equation of busyness with worthiness — the sense that a packed calendar proves our value. Have you internalized this equation? How does it show up in your daily life or in the way you talk about your week?
3.Warren connects the Sabbath command (rooted in Genesis 2:1–3, where God himself rests) to a fundamental theological claim: that the world does not depend on our activity to keep running. What does it say about our view of God — and ourselves — if we cannot stop?
a.What are the most honest reasons you find it difficult to rest — is it guilt, anxiety, habit, or something else?
b.Warren says Sabbath is a 'practice of trust.' What would you need to trust in order to genuinely rest?