Just wondering what some people do on their Sabbath Day, besides go to morning service at church? How do you find ways to have a meaningful and fulfilling Sabbath Day?
Would love to hear your responses.
Would love to hear your responses.
-
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What Do You Do On The Sabbath?
- Thread starter MLEN
- Start date
RND
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- Jul 20, 2006
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I go to jail!
I'm part of a small group of dedicated men that minister and fellowship with state prisoners on Friday night (sabbath evening) and federal prison on Saturday (sabbath day). I'd rather do this than go to church! This is the most rewarding and personally satisfying thing I have ever done.
This December will mark my 3rd year in prison ministry. Thanks for asking!
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Excellent ministry RND! I'm sure the blessings are mutually received by both your group and those you minister to.
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honorthesabbath
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- Aug 10, 2005
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Well, I can't beat RND--lol, but after church, we come home and have lunch, then it's either go visit my Mom, or go for walks. I also like to go on Paltalk and have great bible discussions.
I admit to being rather reclusive. I was raised that way and it's hard to overcome
.
I admit to being rather reclusive. I was raised that way and it's hard to overcome
.
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Thanks for sharing your day with us hts,
Visiting relatives/friends who are home bound or ill is an excellent ministry. So can inviting others home with you for lunch while participating in wholesome, uplifting Biblical conversation.
God Bless.
Visiting relatives/friends who are home bound or ill is an excellent ministry. So can inviting others home with you for lunch while participating in wholesome, uplifting Biblical conversation.
God Bless.
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Hi MLEN,
Here are the SDA Church Guidelines as posted on the GC web site pertaining Sabbath activities. You will notice that they cover a wide range of activities starting with being prepared for the Sabbath. While these guidelines about the Sabbath, and Sabbath activities, mention a few activities this is in no way ment to be limited to those activities which are listed. I'm sure you will see the Biblical principals involved. I pray that this will be of help.
Your friend,
Doc
===============================================================
Home and Family Life as Related to the Sabbath
1) Introduction. Home life is the cornerstone of proper Sabbath observance. Only when individuals keep the Sabbath conscientiously in the home and assume their assigned responsibilities as members of the family will the Church as a whole reveal to the world the joys and privileges of God's holy day.
2) Different Kinds of Homes. In the twentieth century there are various kinds of homes, for example, the home in which there is a husband, wife, and children; the home in which there is husband and wife and no children; the home in which there is a single parent and children (where because of death or divorce one parent must function in both maternal and paternal roles); the home in which a person has never married or where death or divorce has left one single, and no children are involved; or the home in which one parent only is a member of the Church. In addressing the needs and problems of these categories, it should be understood that some of the principles and suggestions enunciated will apply to all groups and some will be more specialized.
3) Two Sacred Institutions--The Home and the Sabbath. "In the beginning" God placed a man and a woman in the Garden of Eden as their home. Also, "in the beginning" God gave to human beings the Sabbath. These two institutions, the home and the Sabbath, belong together. Both are gifts from God. Therefore both are sacred, the latter strengthening and enriching in its unique manner the bond of the former.
Close fellowship is an important element of the home. Close fellowship with other human beings also is an important element of the Sabbath. It binds families closer to God and binds the individual members closer to one another. Viewed from this perspective, the importance of the Sabbath to the home cannot be overestimated.
4) Responsibilities of Adults as Teachers. In choosing Abraham as the father of the chosen people, God said, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him" (Gen 18:19). It seems clear, then, that an enormous responsibility has been given to adults in the home for the spiritual- welfare of their children. By both precept and example, they must provide the kind of structure and atmosphere that will make the Sabbath a delight and such a vital part of Christian living that, long after leaving the home, the children will continue the customs they were taught in childhood.
In harmony with the injunction, "Thou shalt teach them (God's commandments) diligently unto thy children" (cf Dent 6:4-9), the adult members of the family should teach their children to love God and keep His commandments. They should teach them to be loyal to God and to follow His directives.
From earliest infancy, children should be taught to participate in family worship so that worship in the house of God will become an extension of a family custom. Also from infancy, children should be taught the importance of church attendance, that true Sabbath observance involves going to God's house for worship and Bible study. Adults in the family should set the example by attending services on Sabbath, providing a pattern that will be seen as important when their children make decisions on what is of value in life. Through discussions, as the children grow older and more mature, and through Bible study, the children should be taught the meaning of the Sabbath, its relationship to Christian living, and the enduring quality of the Sabbath.
5) Preparation for the Sabbath. If the Sabbath is to be observed properly, the entire week should be programmed in such a way that every member will be ready to welcome God's holy day when it arrives. This means that the adult family members will plan so that all household tasks--the buying and preparing of food, the readying of clothes, and all the other necessities of everyday life--will be completed before sundown Friday. The day of rest should become the pivot around which the wheel of the entire week turns. When Friday night approaches and sundown is near, adults and children will be able to greet the Sabbath with tranquility of mind, with all preparation finished, and with the home in readiness to spend the next 24 hours with God and with one another. Children can help achieve this by carrying Sabbath preparation responsibilities commensurate with their maturity. The way the family approaches the beginning of the Sabbath at sundown on Friday night and the way Friday night is spent will set the stage for receiving the blessings that the Lord has in store for the entire day which follows.
6) Proper Sabbath Dress. Where there are children in the home, on Sabbath morning as the family dresses for church, adults may, by precept and example, teach children that one way to honor God is to appear in His house in clean, representative clothing appropriate to the culture in which they live.
7) Importance of Bible Study Hour. Where children do not have the advantage of attending Adventist schools, the Sabbath School becomes the most important means of religious instruction outside the home. The value of this Bible study hour cannot be overestimated. Therefore, parents should attend Sabbath morning services and do everything possible to take their children with them.
8) Family Activities on the Sabbath. In most cultures the Sabbath noon meal, when the family gathers around the dinner table in the home, is a high point of the week. The spirit of sacred joy and fellowship, begun upon arising and continued through the worship services at church, is intensified. Free from the distractions of a secular atmosphere, the family can converse on themes of mutual interest and maintain the spiritual mood of the day.
When the sacred nature of the Sabbath is understood, and a loving relationship exists between parents and children, all will seek to prevent intrusions into the holy hours by secular music, radio, and video and television programs, and by newspapers, books, and magazines.
Sabbath afternoons, as far as possible, will be spent in family activities exploring nature; making missionary visits to shut-ins, the sick, or others in need of encouragement; and attending meetings in the church. As the children grow older, activities will enlarge to encompass other members of their age group in the church, with the question always in mind, "Does this activity cause me to understand better the true nature and sacredness of the Sabbath?" Thus proper Sabbath observance in the home will have a lasting influence for time and eternity.
Sabbath Observance and Recreational Activities
1) Introduction. Sabbath observance includes both worship and fellowship. The invitation to enjoy both is open and generous. Sabbath worship directed toward God usually takes place in a community of believers. The same community provides fellowship. Both worship and fellowship offer unlimited potential to praise God and to enrich the lives of Christians. When either Sabbath worship or fellowship Is distorted or abused, both praise to God and personal enrichment are threatened. As God's gift of Himself to us, the Sabbath brings real joy in the Lord. It is an opportunity for believers to recognize and reach their God-given potential. Thus, to the believer the Sabbath is a delight.
2) Alien Factors to Sabbath Observance. The Sabbath can be intruded upon easily by elements alien to its spirit. In the experience of worship and fellowship the believer must ever be alert to alien factors which are detrimental to one's realization of Sabbath sacredness. The sense of Sabbath holiness is threatened particularly by the wrong kinds of fellowship and activities. By contrast, the sacredness of the Sabbath is upheld when the Creator remains the center of that holy day.
3) Culturally Conditioned Phenomena in Sabbath Observance. It is important to understand that Christians render obedience to God and thus observe the Sabbath at the place in history and culture where they live. It is possible that both history and culture may falsely condition us and distort our values. By appealing to culture we may be guilty of giving ourselves license or excuse to indulge in sports and recreational activities that are incompatible with Sabbath holiness. For example, intensive physical exertion and various forms of tourism are out of harmony with true Sabbath observance.
Any attempt to regulate Sabbath observance beyond Biblical principles by developing lists of Sabbath prohibitions will be counterproductive to a sound spiritual experience. The Christian will test his Sabbath experience by principle. He knows that it is the main purpose of the Sabbath to strengthen the bond of union between himself and God. Thus one's activities guided by Biblical principles and contributing toward such a strengthening are acceptable.
Inasmuch as no one can evaluate rightly the personal motives of others, a Christian must be very careful not to criticize his brethren living in cultural contexts other than his own who engage in Sabbath recreational activities of which they approve.
While traveling, Adventist tourists should make every effort to observe the Sabbath with their fellow believers in any given area. Respecting the sacredness of the seventh day, it is recommended that Adventists avoid using the day for a holiday set aside for sightseeing and secular activity.
========================================================
Your brother in Christ,
Doc
Here are the SDA Church Guidelines as posted on the GC web site pertaining Sabbath activities. You will notice that they cover a wide range of activities starting with being prepared for the Sabbath. While these guidelines about the Sabbath, and Sabbath activities, mention a few activities this is in no way ment to be limited to those activities which are listed. I'm sure you will see the Biblical principals involved. I pray that this will be of help.
Your friend,
Doc
===============================================================
Home and Family Life as Related to the Sabbath
1) Introduction. Home life is the cornerstone of proper Sabbath observance. Only when individuals keep the Sabbath conscientiously in the home and assume their assigned responsibilities as members of the family will the Church as a whole reveal to the world the joys and privileges of God's holy day.
2) Different Kinds of Homes. In the twentieth century there are various kinds of homes, for example, the home in which there is a husband, wife, and children; the home in which there is husband and wife and no children; the home in which there is a single parent and children (where because of death or divorce one parent must function in both maternal and paternal roles); the home in which a person has never married or where death or divorce has left one single, and no children are involved; or the home in which one parent only is a member of the Church. In addressing the needs and problems of these categories, it should be understood that some of the principles and suggestions enunciated will apply to all groups and some will be more specialized.
3) Two Sacred Institutions--The Home and the Sabbath. "In the beginning" God placed a man and a woman in the Garden of Eden as their home. Also, "in the beginning" God gave to human beings the Sabbath. These two institutions, the home and the Sabbath, belong together. Both are gifts from God. Therefore both are sacred, the latter strengthening and enriching in its unique manner the bond of the former.
Close fellowship is an important element of the home. Close fellowship with other human beings also is an important element of the Sabbath. It binds families closer to God and binds the individual members closer to one another. Viewed from this perspective, the importance of the Sabbath to the home cannot be overestimated.
4) Responsibilities of Adults as Teachers. In choosing Abraham as the father of the chosen people, God said, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him" (Gen 18:19). It seems clear, then, that an enormous responsibility has been given to adults in the home for the spiritual- welfare of their children. By both precept and example, they must provide the kind of structure and atmosphere that will make the Sabbath a delight and such a vital part of Christian living that, long after leaving the home, the children will continue the customs they were taught in childhood.
In harmony with the injunction, "Thou shalt teach them (God's commandments) diligently unto thy children" (cf Dent 6:4-9), the adult members of the family should teach their children to love God and keep His commandments. They should teach them to be loyal to God and to follow His directives.
From earliest infancy, children should be taught to participate in family worship so that worship in the house of God will become an extension of a family custom. Also from infancy, children should be taught the importance of church attendance, that true Sabbath observance involves going to God's house for worship and Bible study. Adults in the family should set the example by attending services on Sabbath, providing a pattern that will be seen as important when their children make decisions on what is of value in life. Through discussions, as the children grow older and more mature, and through Bible study, the children should be taught the meaning of the Sabbath, its relationship to Christian living, and the enduring quality of the Sabbath.
5) Preparation for the Sabbath. If the Sabbath is to be observed properly, the entire week should be programmed in such a way that every member will be ready to welcome God's holy day when it arrives. This means that the adult family members will plan so that all household tasks--the buying and preparing of food, the readying of clothes, and all the other necessities of everyday life--will be completed before sundown Friday. The day of rest should become the pivot around which the wheel of the entire week turns. When Friday night approaches and sundown is near, adults and children will be able to greet the Sabbath with tranquility of mind, with all preparation finished, and with the home in readiness to spend the next 24 hours with God and with one another. Children can help achieve this by carrying Sabbath preparation responsibilities commensurate with their maturity. The way the family approaches the beginning of the Sabbath at sundown on Friday night and the way Friday night is spent will set the stage for receiving the blessings that the Lord has in store for the entire day which follows.
6) Proper Sabbath Dress. Where there are children in the home, on Sabbath morning as the family dresses for church, adults may, by precept and example, teach children that one way to honor God is to appear in His house in clean, representative clothing appropriate to the culture in which they live.
7) Importance of Bible Study Hour. Where children do not have the advantage of attending Adventist schools, the Sabbath School becomes the most important means of religious instruction outside the home. The value of this Bible study hour cannot be overestimated. Therefore, parents should attend Sabbath morning services and do everything possible to take their children with them.
8) Family Activities on the Sabbath. In most cultures the Sabbath noon meal, when the family gathers around the dinner table in the home, is a high point of the week. The spirit of sacred joy and fellowship, begun upon arising and continued through the worship services at church, is intensified. Free from the distractions of a secular atmosphere, the family can converse on themes of mutual interest and maintain the spiritual mood of the day.
When the sacred nature of the Sabbath is understood, and a loving relationship exists between parents and children, all will seek to prevent intrusions into the holy hours by secular music, radio, and video and television programs, and by newspapers, books, and magazines.
Sabbath afternoons, as far as possible, will be spent in family activities exploring nature; making missionary visits to shut-ins, the sick, or others in need of encouragement; and attending meetings in the church. As the children grow older, activities will enlarge to encompass other members of their age group in the church, with the question always in mind, "Does this activity cause me to understand better the true nature and sacredness of the Sabbath?" Thus proper Sabbath observance in the home will have a lasting influence for time and eternity.
Sabbath Observance and Recreational Activities
1) Introduction. Sabbath observance includes both worship and fellowship. The invitation to enjoy both is open and generous. Sabbath worship directed toward God usually takes place in a community of believers. The same community provides fellowship. Both worship and fellowship offer unlimited potential to praise God and to enrich the lives of Christians. When either Sabbath worship or fellowship Is distorted or abused, both praise to God and personal enrichment are threatened. As God's gift of Himself to us, the Sabbath brings real joy in the Lord. It is an opportunity for believers to recognize and reach their God-given potential. Thus, to the believer the Sabbath is a delight.
2) Alien Factors to Sabbath Observance. The Sabbath can be intruded upon easily by elements alien to its spirit. In the experience of worship and fellowship the believer must ever be alert to alien factors which are detrimental to one's realization of Sabbath sacredness. The sense of Sabbath holiness is threatened particularly by the wrong kinds of fellowship and activities. By contrast, the sacredness of the Sabbath is upheld when the Creator remains the center of that holy day.
3) Culturally Conditioned Phenomena in Sabbath Observance. It is important to understand that Christians render obedience to God and thus observe the Sabbath at the place in history and culture where they live. It is possible that both history and culture may falsely condition us and distort our values. By appealing to culture we may be guilty of giving ourselves license or excuse to indulge in sports and recreational activities that are incompatible with Sabbath holiness. For example, intensive physical exertion and various forms of tourism are out of harmony with true Sabbath observance.
Any attempt to regulate Sabbath observance beyond Biblical principles by developing lists of Sabbath prohibitions will be counterproductive to a sound spiritual experience. The Christian will test his Sabbath experience by principle. He knows that it is the main purpose of the Sabbath to strengthen the bond of union between himself and God. Thus one's activities guided by Biblical principles and contributing toward such a strengthening are acceptable.
Inasmuch as no one can evaluate rightly the personal motives of others, a Christian must be very careful not to criticize his brethren living in cultural contexts other than his own who engage in Sabbath recreational activities of which they approve.
While traveling, Adventist tourists should make every effort to observe the Sabbath with their fellow believers in any given area. Respecting the sacredness of the seventh day, it is recommended that Adventists avoid using the day for a holiday set aside for sightseeing and secular activity.
========================================================
Your brother in Christ,
Doc
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StormyRyne
Newbie
I do 2 thkngs depending if its my week or not (my husband is baptist and we switch every other week) on the weeks i go i get up and bake for fellowship dinner (being a pastry chef i stick to baking ) and chris does some main or side dish than we shower and get dressed i do my hair and makeup ( i was rased cathlic and i still try my hardest to look my best when i go to church- one of the few times i were makeup) than we leve and have sabbath study and listen to the service. even tho we make things for Fellowship lunchen we rarely stay as chris works saturday nights and we have a short time to get errens done and give him some rest befor work. on the weekends that its chris' turn he wakes me up around 9 ish and makes me brecfast in bed ( whitch i enjoy alot) and we watch tv and relax just the two of us( and polly and yoda and calli and smokies and pepper and lady and button and serina( our pets)).
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Hi Doc,
I appreciate the SDA guidelines, but I was more wondering along the lines of what you personally do on the Sabbath, rather than a general list of to-dos and not-to-dos.
I'll still be glad to hear if you are willing to share.
Blessings.
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Hi StormyRyne,
Good to hear from you. Just to clarify, are you saying that you alternate weekends for keeping the Sabbath? I only ask this because you say that on your week you and your husband go to church on Sabbath, but on his week you both stay home and watch TV and relax on Sabbath. Am I right on this, or did I misunderstand?
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StormyRyne
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Yes you are we alternate going to my church and his, when we were first married we went to both every weekend and we got burned out as we never got a day to rest ( for me going to church is not restful and one of the busyest days of my week) and after that month i talked to my paster and he said that in my situation the he understands who had it is to attend two churches full time. He Pasters over 2 chrches and is there every other week and me and chris decided that i would atend when hes there and on the other weekends we'd go to his church. The thing that is bad for him is he wants to convert but cant becouse of his mom as long as she is around we will be a 2 church family.
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Thanks for helping me understand StormyRyne.
BTW, I hope this thread I began continues. It has been enlightening for me but at the moment I must sign out of CF as other duties call me back into the real world (lol).
Many Blessings All.
BTW, I hope this thread I began continues. It has been enlightening for me but at the moment I must sign out of CF as other duties call me back into the real world (lol).
Many Blessings All.
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