The Biblical calendar has annual festivals which I’ve written about before (and will be writing more in days to come). However, Shabbat (the Sabbath) is a weekly mini-festival. Shabbat means rest or cessation. It is a break from everyday life and work to take a break and pause.
Jews reckon a new day beginning at sundown so the Sabbath goes from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown. This past Friday evening, for one of my classes, we went to a local synagogue to experience a Friday evening service of welcoming Shabbat. It’s a joyful time, leaving behind the worries of the week and turning our hearts to God. The liturgy is heavily focused on reading Scripture (several Psalms) and other traditional prayers.
After the service, we sat down for Shabbat dinner. We usually do a short version of this at JUC, but this gave us the full experience, including reading liturgy, singing Hebrew songs, and enjoying a great meal. It was a joyful time.
The day before our class visited the synagogue to get an idea of what to expect and talk about synagogue services. Here are some pictures from then.
Christianity in general looks down on the Sabbath as a burden. I don’t see that here. It is a joy. It is a day of freedom, an open calendar to be with family and friends. Sabbath says I’m valued by a God who loves me for who I am, not by what I do or produce.