Spreading Light
Sabbath Experiences
Sabbaths are a time to reflect on acts taken in the image of God, to reflect on the need to deny ourselves, and to reflect on painful changes that teach us to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God, acting justly and loving mercy. (Leviticus 23:23-44).
When we hear the word “Sabbath”, we usually think of a day that comes regularly each week. But the word “Sabbath” also can apply to holidays that come regularly each year.
In the Law of Moses, three such Sabbaths are the Sabbath of Trumpets, the Sabbath of Denial, and the Sabbath of Change. (Leviticus 23:23-44).
These Sabbaths for experiences of the year correspond to experiences of our lives and of our civilizations.
There are experiences that deserve to be commemorated with trumpet blasts.
These are experiences when we acted in the image of God to make our lives better.
These are experiences when we acted in the image of God to make our civilization better.
There are experiences that make us realize we need to repent and we need mercy.
These are experiences that convince us to deny ourselves because we do not live on every word that comes from the mouth of God—because we fall short of the glory of God.
These are experiences that convince us to deny ourselves because our civilization does not live on every word that comes from the mouth of God—because our civilization does not act justly and love mercy.
There are painful changes in our lives and civilizations that nevertheless cause us to rejoice at the ways our lives and civilizations are becoming better at reflecting the image of God.
These are experiences—such as the Pandemic—when we celebrate how painful changes in our lives taught us why we do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the word of God.
These are experiences—such as the Pandemic—when our civilization celebrates how painful changes in our civilization taught us why we need to act justly and love mercy.
Sabbaths are a time to reflect on acts taken in the image of God, to reflect on the need to deny ourselves, and to reflect on painful changes that teach us to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God, acting justly and loving mercy.
READ MORE
To read more about my Visions of the Sabbath, please read my blogs “Sabbath Creation”, “Sabbath Week”, and “Sabbath Seasons”.