If you call the Sabbath a delight
Isaiah 58:13
and the LORD’s holy day honorable…
I talked briefly about the Sabbath in my last post. The Sabbath is a big deal in the Bible, starting from the beginning. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day and therefore commanded us to observe the Sabbath. He built it into the creation. We cannot keep going and going without a break without suffering consequences. It is a time to stop. It is a time to remember that I am not defined by what I do. The traditional greeting is “Shabbat Shalom!” – Sabbath peace.
Tonight we had our first Sabbath meal at JUC. One prominent Jewish tradition is having a special meal each week to welcome in the Sabbath. The candles were set, the tables were specially arranged, the grape juice was poured, and the challah bread was set out. It is a weekly holiday. Remember that days begin at sundown, so it begins at sundown on what we call Friday evening. The Sabbath was created for our enjoyment. We enjoyed a feast.
Each week after our special meal, we have a short Vespers service of singing and someone gives a talk. This is the beginning of something I will look forward to each week. Hopefully I can integrate it better into my life when I get home.
Unfortunately this Sabbath won’t be very restful, although I am looking forward to it. We are out in the field tomorrow. On Sunday we have Student Activity Day, which should be fun. I will report more later. In the meantime, Shabbat Shalom!