Practicing Sabbath
Have you ever talked with a friend about the way they celebrate a specific holiday or event, and been surprised that it was so different than what your family does? I think when it comes to Sabbath that you will discover there are many ways that it is practiced.
If you have friends or family that are Jewish then they likely observe the weekly Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday each week. These weekly times probably include the lighting of candles, spoken blessings, and family and friends gathered together in a variety of ways. These friends or family may have different traditions for their weekly Sabbath based on their views on Jesus and scripture.
For those that are Gentile (non-Jewish) followers of Jesus, Sabbath might be observed from Friday to Saturday, but it also might be observed on Sunday depending on your family's traditions. This weekly time might include attending a worship service, gathering for a meal with friends, and various other forms of slowing down and enjoying God.
Over the years I’ve asked these questions and you might be wondering about them too.
Do we still need to observe the Sabbath today?
Isn’t Jesus our Sabbath rest? If so why do we need a specific day of rest?
I think that the 10 commandments given to Moses by God still apply today. I believe that God still desires for us to worship only one God, to have no idols, to honor his name, to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, to honor our parents, to not murder, to not commit adultery, to not steal, to not bear false witness, and to not covet.
The purpose of these commands is to live lives that look different from the world around us. And honestly, it just makes sense to me that these things would help govern our love of God and love of mankind still today.
Yet, I believe that our salvation is not dependent upon our unerring obedience to these commands, but rather it comes through Jesus. Our knowing Jesus gives us rest in this world. Because of his great love for us, we can experience righteousness that is unending. We can commune with God at all times and in all places. Knowing Jesus also promises us rest for eternity. One day we will be with him and all things will be made new.
I think that in choosing to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, set apart for God, we are accepting an invitation to slow down, recount the goodness of God, and let our minds and bodies practice lingering in the presence of our good Father.
Our daily lives are bustling with activity. While we might begin our day in quiet reflection with Jesus and prayerfully go about the activities of our day, this is different than having a day set aside to slowly and deeply breathe in God.
Every family will have to determine what their Sabbath rest might look like. What does it look like for you to stop working in this season of life? What does it look like to truly rest? What activities will you say yes to on your rest day? What would it look like for you to linger in God’s presence without rushing off to do another thing?
As I’ve been trying to figure out Sabbath I have found that I love to read a good book, do a puzzle, play games, and eat with family. I’m also finding that I still need practice in lingering and not filling my day with tasks to complete.
Slowing down is a process for me. How about you?
~ Melissa