Sabbath for Families
By Lauri Przybysz, D.Min.
The global Pandemic has given many families a chance to slow down, take stock of what is important, recognize the fragility of life and to ask how they want life to look different going forward. By the grace of God, we have a ready-made way to extend this “pause” : Sunday, the Lord’s Day.
Our Sabbath, Sunday is like a weekly retreat, a time of renewal and celebration, a time for recognizing our blessings and sharing joy with others. The very act of observing Sunday is a reminder of the covenant and an invitation to enter into a deeper relationship with God.
Sunday is a time of both church attendance and family gatherings, but our Christian tradition of keeping Sunday as an “Easter experience” is too often watered down to an “obligation” or just a day to catch up on chores. Let us aim to make our Sundays more about being available to God and nurturing our “domestic church,” the Church in miniature in our own homes.
We know we need to spend more time together as a family, to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company. Our schedules fill up and before we know it, we have forgotten to plan for the time we crave. God has given our families the gift Sundays to rest, renew, and reconnect.
Sunday dinner can be an opportunity to get people to sit and linger, to tell stories of their week, share what’s on their heart, and utter the latest joke. Some families enjoy cooking together, teaching children cherished recipes and experimenting with new foods. Take turns leading grace before or after meals. Make dinner table conversations positive and affirming; save discussions about money or problem issues until another time. Let Sunday be a zone of peace.
While dinner time is the ideal time to gather and pay attention to one another, in Sunday we have the whole day to share. Sunday is a great day to play games that allow everyone to participate and cooperate. Week to week, family members can be creative in planning the Sunday activity. Consider also occasionally inviting friends or extended family to join you on Sunday for a meal or recreational activity. Sometimes, spend Sunday visiting others to enjoy the day together. Imagine Jesus dropping in to visit Martha, Mary, and Lazarus at their Bethany home to celebrate the Sabbath meal. It must have been a joyful retreat for him, and we know that it blessed his friends.
If we experience God’s gift of Sabbath in our homelife, then it makes more sense to us when we come to church to ritualize and celebrate God’s presence in our family, to remind ourselves of the sacredness of every meal, every act of kindness, every prayer for healing and thanksgiving, and all the ordinary actions of our lives.
Prayer:
God, our Father, we your children look to you for every good thing. Teach us how to find rest and healing through observing the Lord’s Day in meaningful and holy ways. Help us to always give you thanks and praise for every day, especially for the gift of Sundays. Amen.
