Everyday Sabbath: How to Lead Your Dance with Media and Technology in Mindful and Sacred Ways

Product Description
The authors, writing as scholars of communication and media, demonstrate how God's great gifts of media and technology can rob us of everyday Sabbath and impede spiritual growth if not faithfully stewarded through a process described as mindful media attachment. Mindful media attachment helps to promote the "holy habits" of sacred intentionality, sacred interiority, and sacred identity. These "three sacreds," which arise from a proper understanding of the "grammar and language" of media and technology, ultimately allow us to avoid treating media and technology as ends in and of themselves and to avoid divided affections that drain energy, purpose, and kingdom service.
Review
"How do I order my life well in a hyper-mediated digital world? Decades ago, Neil Postman proposed the role of 'loving-resistance fighter.' Today, Patton and Woods invite us into the 'how' of loving resistance-in-practice through an ancient and now-alien principle--Sabbath--that provides a restful, working path of life that's in the digital world but not of it." --Calvin L. Troup, President, Geneva College
"A brilliant and thoroughly delightful work--engaging, yet not frothy. The fruit of years interacting with college and university students, this book nicely bridges current chasms between academia, technology, and smartphone-driven pop culture, providing a prophetic critique of today's techno-digital culture from the biblical perspective of Sabbath. The authors teach Sabbath through tracing paths of sacred intentionality, interiority, and identity. Most of us affirm Sabbath once a week; here is sound guidance for everyday Sabbath, twenty-four seven." --Howard A. Snyder, Professor of the History and Theology of Mission, Asbury Theological Seminary (retired), International Representative, Manchester Wesley Research Centre, and author, The Problem of Wineskins and Salvation Means Creation Healed
"As a pandemic rages we have all been forced to communicate and relate through social media. 'You're muted' is a common refrain that is both commercial and wearisome. How do we balance the good and bad of our increasingly socially mediated days? Certainly, it's a delicate dance that needs insight, caution, and encouragement. I can't think of two better guides than Paul Patton and Robert Woods or a more timely book." --Tim Muehlhoff, Professor of Communication, Biola University, and codirector of the Winsome Conviction Project
"Everyday Sabbath is a much-needed and a most relevant digital media literacy resource for spiritual formation. An invaluable tool, it affirms the gift of media and technology while directing us to pathways of spirituality of resistance to passive consumption of digital media. Complete with how-to techniques for cultivating everyday spirituality in incremental moments, the book is a timely wake-up call to live into one's timeless vocation: love of God and care for the neighbor." --Glory E. Dharmaraj, President, World Association for Christian Communication-North America
"As a former president of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), I know it's hard to learn to slurp a discerning sip from the firehose of social media. Love it or hate it, pop culture is where our world creates meaning in common. Patton and Woods propose a mindful dance with media and technology, offering a practical roadmap to help your group navigate these fecund but sometimes murky waters." --Dennis A. Smith, Presbyterian Church (USA), Regional Liaison, South America (retired)
"I am profoundly thankful for Everyday Sabbath. With a deep sense of love and concern for their readers, Patton and Woods offer wise and practical advice on how to engage with media, technology, and culture in ways that are pleasing to God. Let us reclaim the three sacreds--intentionality, interiority, and identity--and put our digital world in its proper place."--Diane M. Badzinski, Chair and Professor of Communication, School of Humanities