Issue No. 602 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting remembers Senator Joe Lieberman (1942-2024) by reminding you about his beautiful book. No politics. Just an observant Jew’s insider look at what he calls the gift of rest—the Sabbath. It’s amazing.
Plus, click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), and click here for more book reviews. Also, read my recent review of Six Hours One Friday, by Max Lucado. Bonus! Read this week’s guest blog by Dave Barton on the song, “Groovin’”, sung by The Young Rascals, in our toe-tapping feature, Johnny Be Good, spotlighting 45 songs from yesteryear.
Joe Liberman (1942-2024), author of The Gift of Rest, served as the U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1989-2013. He died on March 27, 2024. He was 82. (Pictured: His 2005 official portrait.)
Joe Lieberman (1942-2024) served as the U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1989-2013. He died on March 27, 2024. He was 82. Read this poignant tribute to Senator Liberman that appeared as a letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal on April 1, 2024, “What Joe Lieberman Did for My Family.” I hope you’ll read my review (below) and consider reading (or rereading) The Gift of Rest.
Instant Sabbath Coffee
Full confession. I can preach—with the best of them—about the importance of balance in life. (Some are now calling it “harmony.”) I’m a recovering workaholic and I share my most embarrassing, idiotic three-week workaholic marathon in the Team Bucket chapter of Mastering the Management Buckets. In my Management Buckets workshops, I ask participants to put their hands on their hearts and pledge allegiance to the core competency of work/life balance.
Gulp. Then…I picked up and read U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman’s book about rediscovering the beauty of the Sabbath. I’m pretty sure I don’t mention the Sabbath when talking or writing about work/life balance. Double gulp.
How about you? Sen. Lieberman says he embraced the fourth commandment. “Most of the time,” he writes, “it feels less like a commandment and more like a gift from God.”
He adds, “For me, Sabbath observance is a gift because it is one of the deepest, purest pleasures in my life. It is a day of peace, rest and sensual pleasure.” (Never heard my Baptist parents, preachers, or friends ever use those words about the Sunday rules we railed against.)
Well…this is a tough sell—convincing you to read this book. But I’ll try.
The Gift of Rest is that and more. Lieberman’s plain-spoken, transparent—and phenomenally interesting book—hooked me in the first paragraph:
“It’s Friday night, raining one of those torrential downpours that we get in Washington, D.C., and I am walking from the Capitol to my home in Georgetown, getting absolutely soaked. A United States Capitol policeman is at my side, as we make our way up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol building toward our distant goal, a four-and-a-half-mile walk. Before leaving my Senate office I changed into sneakers, but now they are full of water.”
What’s the deal? Lieberman, a “religiously observant Jew,” takes pleasure in the Sabbath gift of rest given by God from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. He shuts down his car and his Blackberry [google this!]. Calls go to the home phone answer machine [google that!]. He and his wife enjoy instant coffee on Saturday morning from the pre-heated water prepared on Friday afternoon. The whole deal—to an evangelical Christian workaholic like me—sounds bizarre.
But then…the sheer beauty and meaning of the synagogue services wonderfully described by Joe (sorry, that’s a little too familiar, but he befriended me so warmly in his book) arrested my senses and my spirit. I slowed down. I savored each chapter. Slowly. I read long portions out loud to my wife, Joanne. We laughed. We got misty-eyed and hungry for the God we love. I heard Him speak to me. Wow…this just doesn’t fit the read-a-book, review-a-book program.
My friend Joe again: “When I said the Sabbath is sensual, I meant that it engages the senses—sight, sound, taste, smell and touch—with beautiful settings, soaring melodies, wonderful food and wine, and lots of love. It is a time to reconnect with family and friends—and, of course, with God, the Creator of everything we have time to ‘sense’ on the Sabbath. Sabbath observance is a gift that has anchored, shaped and inspired my life.
“So, you might ask, if it’s such a gift and pleasure, why not just get in the car with the policeman and take an easy, eagerly offered ride home? The book you hold in your hands is my answer to your question.”
And the answers are worth the reading. For Christians who pretend to know their Old Testaments as well as their New Testaments, you’ll enjoy this journey of surprising delights and discover fascinating and quotable insights about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and what happens in synagogues today to connect the centuries. The humor is charming. Sen. Lieberman’s heart is disarming. Mostly though, the case for Sabbath rest is transforming.
To order from Amazon, click on the title for The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath, by Senator Joe Lieberman.
2) Senator Lieberman’s book was published by Howard Books, a Christian publisher, and includes excellent discussion questions and suggestions at the end of every chapter—for people of all faiths—like “Consider not wearing a watch on the Sabbath. Don’t worry about being late. Your main responsibility today is to rest and, thereby, to please and honor God—not to be on time and please other human beings.” Who’s willing to do the “no watch” challenge for the next four Sabbaths?
Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 13: In Search of Global Perspectives
Book #72 of 100: Being Indian
For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #72 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
Being Indian:
The Truth About Why the 21st Century Will Be India’s
by Pavan K. Varma
Books #71 through #76 spotlight six fascinating looks at diverse cultures—in search of global perspectives. So with all the other books you’ve bought, but still haven’t read, why should you read a book on India? Answer: 1,441,719,852 people! (1.4 billion!)
• Read my review.
• Order from Amazon: Being Indian
• Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).
This book is fascinating. Incredible. Eye-popping. Deep. Implications far beyond India. Bring a pen. I underlined something on almost every page.
Yet I’m still at a loss on how to hook you into reading this. The subject is too vast—the illustrations are too perfect—and the writing is pure art form, yet clear and to the point. India is a conundrum. It’s an oxymoron. Just when you think you get it, you miss it. The book is unlike any I’ve read.
Song #13 of 45:
Groovin'
Listen to “Groovin’” sung by The Young Rascals, for Song #13 of 45 in our blog series, Johnny Be Good. Read the color commentary by Dave Barton to learn why this is one of his favorite songs. Reminder: Guest bloggers invited! More info here.
52 WEEKS:
312 PRAYERS
The letter to the Hebrews beautifully connects the Old Testament to the New Testament. This is the perfect devotional book to follow Resurrection Sunday! Read my review of The Most Holy Place: Devotional Prayers in the Book of Hebrews, by Jeremy D. Vogan. Just humble prayers. No fluff! And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.
TheShroudFilm.com - This Easter season learn why The Shroud of Turin is the most studied artifact in history. Does it show proof of the resurrection? From the bloodstain evidence we know the linen burial shroud did cover a man who suffered a brutal crucifixion, but we can also see details that go beyond a typical Roman form of execution to wounds particular to those suffered by only Jesus, as recorded in the gospel stories. From Robert Orlando and Jason Pearson, discover this new documentary now streaming. TheShroudFilm.com
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