Welcoming the Sabbath, Part 2

Long-time Church members share more things they’ve learned about preparing for a happy and holy Sabbath.

Yesterday I shared my story of learning to prepare for the Sabbath, along with comments from four other Church members. Let’s continue with more of the great ideas members have shared.

Preparation and thankfulness

Third-generation Church member Tanya commented: “I have thought about what I do to prepare for the Sabbath. Here are a couple of things I do. On a physical note, I do most of the house cleaning and that type of thing on Thursday. I save Friday for the mental conditioning. I tune out (try to) the world news, because my husband and I watch, listen to and read a lot of news. But come 4 it’s not happening!

“I switch on some of our favorite Sabbath music that my daughter put on my iPod. I light candles, put a fire in the fireplace (in the winter), and prepare what several of our family members suggested we try for our ‘special’ Friday night meal.

“During that time my thoughts often turn to how thankful I am to know God’s plan and how happy God will be when ALL are keeping the Sabbath. I think of what the world will be like when I watch the cars out my kitchen window driving home and imagine when they understand what I do.

“I get very happy thinking about that time in the future as I prepare our dinner. I mentally make note of so many things I am thankful for, including the nice house my husband has provided, my children, grandchild, their health and so many, many things. I focus on being grateful.

“I try very hard to mentally, emotionally and spiritually take the time to have a grateful heart and be with the rest of the ‘family’ the next day at church. I try to put things into relative importance and realize I am still a work in progress. I guess you can say I think and think.”

Friday night family time

A member from Ohio said: “We typically have a family dinner with my parents, younger brother, younger sister and her husband, plus the four of us. We take turns going to each others’ houses. Now that there are four houses in the family, each one takes a Friday night a month, chooses the main course and asks the rest of the family to bring accompanying foods. If we don’t have our Sabbath dinner, it just makes the week extra long.”

A happy grandma, JoAnna, comments: “My son has little Michael call me right around 7:30 on Friday evening. When I answer the phone it’s always Mikey on the other end starting off with ‘Hiya, Nana!’ Then what follows is ‘Happy Shabbish, Nana!’ He tells me a little bit about his day, then he reminds me to bring the little treats to church that I always have for him and ends the conversation with, ‘I love you, Nana! See you at church, Nana!’

“No matter what kind of day I might have been having, the phone call never fails to make me smile. It’s a great start to the Sabbath. I’m sharing this for the benefit of those young parents who are looking to teach their little ones a special activity for the start of Sabbath. Michael looks forward to it every Friday night. But, I suspect, not as much as I do! :)”

More to come

What you have read so far is just a sampling of ideas and tips shared by fellow Church members from many walks of life. I hope it has whetted your appetite for more. Please check the COGWA Facebook page on the next several Fridays to view additional comments, and please add your own observations and experiences in honoring and preserving the sanctity of this very wonderful gift from God—the Sabbath day.

For more about the Sabbath, check out these links:

• How to Keep the Sabbath as a Christian
• Was the Sabbath Changed to Sunday?
• The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day.

Karen Meeker has been celebrating God’s Sabbath for nearly 60 years. She and her husband, George, serve the Church of God, a Worldwide Association congregation in the St. Louis, Missouri, area.