Sabbath
Week 04: Celebrating
Some things just make you want to dance, throw confetti, and stay up all night night. Parts of our lives stand out and make us want to celebrate. In Luke 15 Jesus says that his Father is like a woman who lost a coin, a shepherd who lost a sheep, and a father with a runaway son. In each of these stories, the characters throw a party when what is lost is found (Luke 15:6, 9, & 23). In each of these stories, Jesus depicts his Father as a joyful God who loves to celebrate. Jesus himself loved to eat meals and celebrate life with those around him (Matt. 11:19).
Practice for this week Make Sabbath worth celebrating this week. Find a way to make it a party.
01 – Plan activities of celebration. Find a way to make Sabbath a party. Choose activities that will turn your day of rest into a day of celebration. God instructs us to rejoice, eat good food, and to celebrate on the Sabbath (Neh. 8:10).
02 – Incorporate food. Food is the universal language of celebration. Every good holiday includes food. Would it be Christmas without sugar cookies, St. Patrick’s Day without green beer, or a birthday without cake? Food is the centrepiece of celebration. This week, you could plan a Sabbath dinner, have a treat you normally wouldn’t have, or have friends over for dinner. Whatever you do, find a way to incorporate food.
03 – Include people. Celebration is about making memories, bringing people together, and sharing the special moments of life. Try to incorporate people into your Sabbath celebration this week.
Recommended Resource: Subversive Sabbath by A J Swoboda