Set Apart

Shabbat candles, braided challah bread, prayer, family time. In Jewish communities, Sabbaths are truly set apart from the rest of the week. (Indeed, the Hebrew word for holy—as in, "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy"—means, literally, "set apart.") When I practiced Judaism, I'd begin my Sabbath with a relaxed Friday night dinner, followed by a day of worship, rest, and celebration. During the Sabbath day, I didn't think about my work, spend any money, ride in a car, or watch television.

Then I became a Christian. Although I went to church on Sunday mornings, the day never seemed quite as holy. As often as not, I wound up at the shopping mall on Sunday afternoon.

Of course, Christians aren't bound by Old Testament Sabbath directives. Twice in his epistles, the apostle Paul made it clear that Sabbath observance, like other external signs of piety, is insufficient for salvation. As he wrote to the Colossians, "Don't let anyone condemn you … for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality" (Colossians 2:16-17).

And Jesus, when rebuked by the Pharisees for plucking grain from a field on the Sabbath, criticized those who made a fetish of Sabbath observance, insisting, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).

Turning Our Attention

But Jesus never said to forget the Sabbath completely. Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments, after all! And through the ages Christians have seen the wisdom of devoting one full day to rest and praise. There's an old Puritan saying, "Good Sabbaths make good Christians."

Still, honoring the Sabbath was easier in Puritan New England, where almost everyone took the Sabbath seriously. Shops weren't open on Sundays, businesses closed their doors, and everyone headed to church. Sabbaths are more difficult in contemporary America. In fact, in a society that values busyness and productivity, observing the Sabbath is downright countercultural.

That's not to say contemporary society doesn't encourage us to relax. To the contrary, most secular women's magazines and television talk shows instruct us to indulge ourselves. While there's nothing wrong with the occasional bubble bath, Calgon days aren't quite the same thing as Sabbath. The key to the Sabbath isn't merely rest. Rather, it's that in our rest we turn our attention to God, whose rest our Sabbath mirrors.

So how, in our hectic world, can we set apart a day truly given over to rest and reverence?

I've found it helpful to mark the beginning of the Sabbath. On Saturday evenings, I gather with friends for an unhurried time of food, fellowship, and prayer.

I also have taken inspiration from the two commandments that govern Jewish Sabbath observance: to not work on the Sabbath, and to be joyful. On Sundays, I don't shop, I don't grade papers for the classes I teach, and I don't touch my phone. I even try not to make any plans for the week ahead. Instead, I do things that will give me and God joy. I take long walks with friends. I take extra time for Bible study. And I'm never overly meticulous about these guidelines.

The way into Christian Sabbath observance isn't so much about rules as orientation: away from the busyness of the week and toward the Creator who rested. In this we may find a true sense of Shabbat shalom, Sabbath peace.

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