Sabbath

Russell M. Nelson gave a talk called The Sabbath is a Delight back in 2015. As a church leader, I believe he was trying to move us away from the pharasaic law-keeping to doing things for the love of God and neighbor. In my life since joining the church, I’ve always treated Sunday as a day of “not doing” things… A day of restrictions in observance of the Sabbath as a way of showing God that I love him. The first 4 commandments was about loving God and keeping him our first priority. The 4th commandment was a way to show this love.

President Nelson’s created this standard of Sabbath observance: When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?”

At the time, I don’t think it affected what I did or didn’t do on the Sabbath. Generally, I considered the self-imposed restrictions as a sacrifice as a way of showing God my love and priority.

I just finished a book called The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel, and I feel it has opened my mind more to perhaps President Nelson’s intent in making the Sabbath a delight.

There are a few take-aways that will have changed my approach and attitude to the Sabbath.

1. We are accustomed to Holy spaces (places) like the temple. The Sabbath is a holy time that is set apart. We travel to the temple because we want to be in a sacred place and feel nearer to God. Because it is a sacred place, we treat a visit to the temple differently than other activities – in the way we dress, in the way we behave, in the way we prepare. Similarly, every 7 days, there is a set apart time for us to feel close to God. But that closeness is dependent on our treatment and preparation of that sacred time.
2. It has mentioned that the Sabbath is a king or queen coming to visit. How honored we would be for such a visit. What would we do to prepare so that we can ensure we are attending to our honored guest during the visit.
3. The sabbath is like a palace in time. But, it is a palace that we build (or neglect). How would we build such a sacred palace in time, that it would be fitting as a place that invites God to be near us.
4. Man spends his life trying to conquer space. To acquire property. We labor to build machines and dwellings. Time is unconquerable. The Sabbath day is a day to find union and peace with the world, and break from the ambition of conquering it. It is a glimpse of Heaven, that we may not get caught up in the illusion that the labor expended in space is temporary.
5. When the universe was created, it was not yet complete until the Sabbath day, the day of rest was instated.
6. My favorite thought offered is that the 10 commandments start with the commandments to love God. (This section ending with the Sabbath observance.) It ends with the commandment that we must not covet. The author offers that our time and effort spent in embracing the Sabbath will help us transcend the world and thus also with the last commandment. How much of our world’s problems and anxiety’s are due to jealousy and comparing ourselves with our neighbors. To transcend space (and things) and to cultivate a closer relationship with God through Sabbath observance, will help us have peace in our lives regardless of our circumstances and where we stand in the earthly social order.