In this we may find a true sense of Shabbat shalom, Sabbath peace. The way into Christian Sabbath observance isn't so much about rules as orientation: away from the busyness of the week and towards the Creator who rested. Of course I headed to the store and bought her a pack. On a recent Sunday, my mother, who's quite ill, ran out of her nutritional drinks. And I'm never overly meticulous about these guidelines. Instead, I do things that will give me and God joy. I even try not to make any plans for the week ahead.
On Sundays, I don't shop, I don't grade papers, and I don't touch my phone. I also have taken inspiration from the two commandments that govern Jewish Sabbath observance: to not work on the Sabbath, and to be joyful. On Saturday evenings, I gather with friends for an unhurried time of food, fellowship, and prayer. I've found it helpful to mark the beginning of the Sabbath. So how, in our hectic world, can we set apart a day truly given over to rest and reverence? Rather, it's that in our rest we turn our attention to God, whose rest our Sabbath mirrors. The key to the Sabbath isn't merely rest. While there's nothing wrong with the occasional bubble bath, Calgon days aren't quite the same thing as Sabbath. To the contrary, most secular women's magazines and television talk shows (not to mention Calgon ads) instruct us to indulge ourselves. That's not to say contemporary society doesn't encourage us to relax. In fact, in a society that values busyness and productivity, observing the Sabbath is downright countercultural. Sabbaths are much more difficult in contemporary America. Shops weren't open on Sundays, businesses closed their doors, and everyone headed to church. Still, honoring the Sabbath was easier in Puritan New England, where almost everyone took the Sabbath seriously. There's an old Puritan saying, "Good Sabbaths make good Christians."
#Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy meaning full
Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments, after all! And through the ages Christians have seen the wisdom of devoting one full day to rest and praise. And Jesus, when rebuked by the Pharisees for plucking grain from a field on the Sabbath, criticized those who made a fetish of Sabbath observance, insisting, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" ( Mark 2:27).īut Jesus never said to forget the Sabbath completely. These are a shadow of the things that were to come the reality, however, is found in Christ" ( Colossians 2:16-17). with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. As he wrote to the Colossians, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you. Twice in his epistles, the apostle Paul made it clear that Sabbath observance, like other external signs of piety, is insufficient for salvation. Of course, Christians aren't bound by Old Testament Sabbath directives. As often as not, I wound up at the shopping mall on Sunday afternoon. Although I went to church on Sunday mornings, the day never seemed quite as holy. During the Sabbath day, I didn't think about my schoolwork, spend any money, ride in a car, or watch television. (Indeed, the Hebrew word for "holy"-as in, "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy"-means, literally, "set apart.") When I practiced Judaism, I would begin my Sabbath with a relaxed Friday night dinner, followed by a day of worship, rest, and celebration. In Jewish communities, Sabbaths are truly set apart from the rest of the week. Shabbat candles, braided challah bread, prayer, family time.
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