Work. Rest. Play. The Third Commandment asks Christians to “Remember the Sabbath day, by keeping it holy.” But how is one supposed to keep it holy? How can we honor the sabbath through our work, play, rest, and everyday life? In his new book, Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play, author Joel Biermann uncovers how the sabbath is all about living in the joy and celebration of God’s good gifts. Day 7 is available to order now from Concordia Publishing House.
“I will explore work and its place in our lives, along with the relationship of work to the purpose and telos of every human life,” writes Biermann. “But this is not a book only about work and art and rest and play. More importantly, and more comprehensively, this is a book about the meaning of life and the place of each human within God’s remarkable masterpiece called creation—the divine work that surrounds and enfolds every human life.”
In this engaging new book from Biermann, readers will start with a look at what both Luther’s Small Catechism and the Bible say about the sabbath to get a foundational understanding of what God says. Then, readers will see how to apply it in their work, personal lives, leisure, rest, and day-to-day activities.
“Dr. Biermann, in profound graspable terms, provides usable insights for every human creature offered by the Creator, for understanding one’s personhood and purpose,” says FLAME, GRAMMY®-nominated and Stellar Award–winning hip hop artist and author of Extra Nos: Discovering Grace outside Myself. “This is a trustworthy read that will equip you with God’s end goal for humanity and the meaning of it all.”
Visit cph.org for more information. Contact Erica Sontag to schedule an interview with the author.
Praise for Day 7
Dr. Biermann, in profound, graspable terms, provides usable insights for every human creature offered by the Creator, for understanding one’s personhood and purpose. Most people are not pondering the meaning of the “whole of life.” Most live and experience life in a compartmentalized and fragmented way, just grabbing bits and pieces from here and there that they find useful. This is a trustworthy read that will equip you with God’s end goal for humanity and the meaning of it all, allowing you to rest in Christ, to be productive, and to parley.
—FLAME, GRAMMY®-nominated and Stellar Award-winning hip hop artist; founder of Clear Sight Music and Extra Nos Academy; author of Extra Nos: Discovering Grace outside Myself
Dr. Biermann moves the reader from what he knows to what he thinks he knows to what he needs to know about remembering the Sabbath day. In lucid fashion, Biermann displays how it is that rest, work, leisure, and other topics are related to living a life in accordance with the Third Commandment. The book is personal, in that you will see your life from God’s perspective. With God’s blessing, the reader will gain a new appreciation and increased joy for whom God has made him to be and how God would have him live and rejoice in life that is shaped by day seven.
—Rev. W. Max Mons, STM, pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Chapel, Iowa City, Iowa; first vice president, LCMS Iowa District East; chairman, board of regents, Concordia Seminary
Dr. Biermann has wonderfully unpackaged the Sabbath, showing how day seven is truly foundational for our lives. From the beginning, each chapter reveals connections that help us see the gracious purposes our Lord has intended for every one of us. In an era when many are feeling frustrated by the complexities and distractions of postmodern life, this book brings clarity and joy. You will see the Lord’s Day—not just the time of worship but the whole day—in a new way and be very glad you did. I will be returning to this volume and incorporating its wisdom into my life and teaching.
—Phillip Magness, cantor and LCMS missionary in Africa
Prepare for a worldview reevaluation. Sabbath isn’t about a relegated day of the week—it’s about a lifestyle that receives God’s good gifts and does life the way He intends. It means being right with God and being right with His creation. It means living in tune with the reality of God’s world grounded in truth, goodness, and beauty. At times, that includes work; other times, it includes leisure or play. But in all of it, it means a worshipful delight in that which we have received from God—the vita receptiva.
—Dr. Nathan Olson, professor, Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary, Plymouth, Minnesota
The Sabbath was made for you, and yet what have you done with it? Be restored in the Sabbath and in the very purpose of your life in this wonderful and insightful book. Biermann shows that we are not machines that switch off and on but are embodied souls and living organisms made within a divine order that is good, true, and beautiful. In an age of alienation and displacement, this book will help you find your true home and place in the eternal kingdom of the Lord of the Sabbath.
—Thomas Pietsch, pastor, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide, Australia; PhD candidate, Australian Catholic University
In his doctrine of vocation, Luther takes his theology out of the ivory tower and puts it into practice in the daily lives of Christians. Joel Biermann’s Day 7 helps Christians understand Luther’s explanation of Sabbath rest and the relationship of work, rest, and leisure in their daily lives. His treatment of the receptive life is particularly helpful for individuals to appreciate God’s gifts and serve their neighbors in love.
—Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, president, Missouri District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
About the Author
The son of a pastor, Joel Biermann was raised in parishes in Alberta, Canada, Nebraska, and Michigan. After serving as pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Holt, Michigan, for eleven years, Dr. Biermann returned to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, to pursue graduate work. In 2002, he joined the faculty at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in the systematic theology department, teaching doctrinal theology with a special interest and emphasis centered on ethics and the correct role of the Law in the life of the believer. Dr. Biermann is a frequent speaker at district and congregational gatherings and conferences, covering a variety of topics related to discipleship and sanctification. Dr. Biermann holds a bachelor of arts from Concordia University Ann Arbor and a master of divinity and a PhD from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
Dr. Biermann and his wife, Jeannalee, live in St. Louis. They have three adult children and eleven grandchildren.
