Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy

A few months ago, I realized that I was more tired on Sunday than on other days of the week.  Between grocery shopping, going to the laundromat and then squeezing in time to attend church, I started the week exhausted.   I, then, remembered a Messianic Jewish friend who looked forward to celebrating Sabbath every week and decided to try it.  I could at least do it for a month.

Well, it is now six months later, and I am still learning to how to observe  Sabbath.  Learning to let go of all your busyness in life is a journey, but it is well worth the effort.  Not only do you please the Lord by this observance, but you also find time to renew yourself and start the week energized.  Here are some tips that you can use to begin this practice:

1)  God commanded us to keep Sabbath holy.  It is a day of rest from what you consider to be work, so you first need to decide what part of your life is work.   I decided to avoid shopping and laundry on Sundays.  My friend avoids any task that involves the exchange of money.  She, also, would make meals ahead of time and only heat them up on Sabbath in a crock pot.  I have not gotten to the point where I can stop cooking but have learned to make simple meals.  I also soak my dishes in the sink and do not wash them until the end of Sabbath.   

2)  Try not to do everything the day before Sabbath or you will feel exhausted when it arrives.  It is best to spread your work out if possible.  I am still running around on Saturdays but have tried to do grocery shopping on Fridays to free up the weekend.

3)  Do not stress about whether Sabbath should be on Saturday, Sunday or a different day of the week if you work on weekends.  The point is that the Lord wants one day set aside to rest and spend time with Him.  I celebrate Sabbath on Sunday because this is when it is celebrated by my Catholic faith.  Also, work on celebrating it at sunset on the prior day as in the Jewish tradition.

4)  Do not worry when your Sabbath is not perfect.  Sometimes, you have to pick up something at the store or clean up a mess in the house.  Try to keep work to the minimum and go back to resting as soon as possible.  Jesus also had the same message in the Gospels when he healed on Sabbath. 

5)  Make it a priority to set aside time for worship and prayer on Sabbath for this pleases God.  I have discovered that once I cleared my schedule, it was easier to go to church.  I even started to look forward to it as the high point of the day.

6)  Sabbath does not always mean spending the day in bed.  My friend would visit the sick or others in need of comfort.  The key is that you are not spending money or doing work.

Last year, we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s on Sabbath day.  Normally, I would be stressed and spend the day in a frenzy preparing meals.  However, since I wanted to observe Sabbath, I prepared some of the meal in advance and kept the rest simple which made the holidays more enjoyable.  My next task will be to  unplug from the cell phone and internet and see if that helps to rest.  I spend most of the week online in my job and at home so that has become work.  It will be an interesting challenge to stay away from technology for a day.

My friend sums it up best saying that observing Sabbath is like having a holiday every week.  Now, that is worth a little effort during the rest of the week.  Shabbat Shalom!