PREPARING FOR A BEAUTIFUL SHABBAT

It is Friday once more. For many of us this means it is time for preparing for a beautiful Shabbat.

PREPARING FOR THE SABBATH

On Friday mornings the first thought which enters my mind upon awakening is: “thank God, this evening Shabbat begins!”  Shabbat is the highlight of the week at our home.  https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/sabbath/sabbath-changed-sunday/

A TYPICAL SHABBAT FOR US

The rest of this article contains random thoughts I had going through my head about Sabbath last Friday morning.

I joyously anticipate lighting the Shabbat candles just before the sun sets.  This is when we invite God’s Shabbat Presence to come into our home. We ask Yahweh to dwell with us in a more focused and less distracted way. 

God is such a gentleman.  He will wait for us to ask.  Our candle-lighting prayer says, “we want to spend a special day with you, please come inside and rest with us.” 

So, the night begins with candle lighting while saying the Shabbat prayer to thank God for the week gone by and to ask blessings on the new week being born.  With deep appreciation and reverence, we enter into a new 24 hour period of sacred time.

Lighting the candles and starting with a prayer, we watch the smoke rise.  A new blessing is about to happen.  All things of the world and all the distractions of daily work are gladly put away.

CANDLELIGHT DINNER MUSIC AND CONVERSATION

My heart eagerly looks forward to each 7^th Day of the week.  Here, Shabbat is a peaceful interlude in which my husband and I spend Friday evenings after sunset enjoying a special Shabbat dinner. 

After the meal, we read the Torah portions together. 

Sometimes we share a gift of appropriate music. 

Then we listen to a sermon from like-kind and like-mind together.  

FINDING THE SABBATH SERMONS

These days such sermons are not easy to come by.  Maybe for us that is because we are in yet another time in our journey down God’s pathway of being set apart. God has given us the blessings of many wonderful congregational families in the past, but now we are in the process of seeking a new place to worship.

Our pathways have taken us in different directions than those of our old friends who we still love, visit and fellowship with often.

Right now, we are seeking a new place which has like-minded teachings of those ways which God has put on our hearts. One point of our being set apart for a while is to figure out how to stay within these teachings which God has put on our hearts and led us to observe. 

WE ARE ALL AT DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE JOURNEY

Our old friends do not wish to keep all of the ways of Torah. They choose a different Sabbath and overlook the Moedim.

In the past we have been guilty of “blending” in order to fit in with the current culture. Now we realize this is not what God wants us to do. We realize that God has a purpose and a destiny for all; so we parted peacefully with love and now we move on.

God will show us the next place.

GOOD RESOURCES

We eagerly search for sermons that fit the teachings God has shown to us. There are certain groups of The Church of God, The Hebraic Roots Network (especially those teachings of Dr. Hollisa Alewine,) the Curt Landry Ministries, and Candace Smityman’s Ministries which seem to be in the same spirit and place and on the same path where God has presently positioned us. 

These ministries and their sermons and lessons are all greatly appreciated. We listen to sermons from all of these groups. Often they are broadcasts which fit the seasons of God’s Calendar for the present time.

Occasionally we will stumble upon good teachings from other Hebraic Roots-thinking, Torah-teaching, Messianic believers.  As a women, I’ve come to love Torah Sisters Magazine as a good resource. I find it joyful, encouraging and uplifting,  

SET APART WITH A PURPOSE IN MIND

When we do find such teachings of like-mind and like-kind; they are appreciated and quickly used as resources. 

The point is that we are taking the time to worship, learn and set aside the 7th Day Sabbath. 

Our goal is to be obedient and truthful. God will do the rest if we wait on Him. He will eventually gather us together with a good congregation where we can continue to grow, worship and be disciples of Jesus Christ from within a group of fellow believers. It is not our intention to stay out here on our own for much longer.

COMING APRAT IN ORDER TO GATHER AGAIN

For this short time, by God’s guidance, we have set ourselves apart to determine where we need to go next. We are Torah Keeping Christians who believe in transformation, therefore we do not want to stay apart forever. 

We see The Bride of Christ as a body working together. The scriptures tell us that Our Creator meant for us to live in harmony with others and help one another through loving community.  We do share this understanding and desire.

COMMUNITY MATTERS TO US

One result of our coming apart at this time is that we have found a clearer definition for the group we are seeking. At least that part of the newer leg of our spiritual journey has become clear.

We know this group of believers we seek will be a group who is keeping the Seventh Day Sabbath. 

The next congregation for us will be one that observes and understands the Moedim (God’s Holy Days.)  They will diligently follow the calendar we believe God put into the sky at Creation.  (It is the calendar I use to publish the ALL MY DAYS CALENDER articles in The IN SEASON Lifestyle blog.)

Keeping Torah and the keeping of the commandments will be important aspects of the congregation we seek to join in with. 

There will be a healthy balance between worship, study, keeping Torah and displaying love, mercy and kindness to the brethren.  It will be extremely important that we able to freely worship Messiah and believe in following His ways with all of our hearts. 

OBEDIENCE PURPOSE AND DESTINY

In all of these things I’ve mentioned above, we feel we can grow, learn and thrive toward the purposes and destinies God has put inside each of us.  We want God to lead us to a place that honors Him and His ways above all the ways of the world, where imperfect people learn how to love one another as they live their imperfect lives while loving and worshiping God. 

It isn’t perfection that we seek here, it is simply a desire to maintain a closer state of obedience before God. Keeping the law is simply a way of loving and honoring God.

I suppose all of these things are a tall order. Maybe that is why we haven’t yet found this group we are seeking in a congregational home.  Trusting God and keeping Sabbath at home is working fine for us in the meantime. We aren’t in a hurry. Our mindset is based on eternity. it isn’t limited to the confines and schedules of this world.

With God leading us, stretching us and growing us, I know we will find a like-minded congregation eventually. 

HOME LITURGY

In the meantime, we have formed a type of liturgy within our home which we follow.   We feel we have been blessed, refreshed and strengthened during this short time of being temporarily set apart in order to come back together with the right body of believers. 

My husband prayerfully searches ahead each week to find the sermons we listen to.  Many agreeable subject lessons are also found from Fred Coulter’s Church At Home website.    Whatever sermon God leads my husband to choose for us typically involves subjects about worshipping Messiah, keeping Torah, honoring God and loving our brothers. 

SHARING OUR VALUES WITH FAMILY

Sometimes we invite other members of our immediate family into this set apart space with us.  It seems God has a few other family members who are also still seeking congregations of like-mind and like-kind.  Those who have already made their choices can still enjoy the act of coming together as a family to worship.  During this family time we have been keeping the Holy Days, feasts and festivals together.  We have a large family, so we always have more than a quorum when we gather Every season has been blessed.

At any rate, I enjoy the discussions these weekly Sabbath lessons provoke as we follow through with our daily living in the coming week.   Also, I cherish the fact that the next morning and afternoon hours will be totally unscheduled.  We will be allowed peaceful times of rest, relaxation and visits with family and friends. 

Shabbat presents so much to look forward to! 

REMEMBERING TO PREPARE

My second Friday thought is not quite as peaceful as the first.  After I immerse myself in rejoicing over how glorious the coming Shabbat will be; I also realize that Friday is the day of preparation. It is going to be a very busy day.

Yikes!  Have I prepared the food ahead? 

Are any clothes we need washed and folded away? 

Do I need to go to the market for any last-minute needs? 

Is the house clean enough so that I can let it go for 24 hours and not worry about drop-in visitors? 

Have I planned any special treats ahead of time to make our Shabbat a little more comfortable, a little sweeter and more relaxing? 

If someone walks into our house on Shabbat, will they feel the peace and order of God as they enter?

All of these things are on my mind as I awake on Friday mornings. If I have been smart and diligent, I’ve done a lot all through the week to make this list of questions a lot easier on Friday morning.

LEAVING WORK FOR A WHILE

As a writer I have even more things to consider.  Are my blog-post all pre-posted and ready so that I can let technology have a 24 hour rest? 

Are the things I’ve written about inspirational to those who are also gearing up for a Sabbath rest?  If someone should study my blog for a Sabbath lesson, or some leisurely inspirational reading, would they find my post suitable and encouraging for the day? 

Do God’s ways live within every page? 

Can I put my thoughts about my latest novel on hold for 24 hours and give God my full attention?  The novel writing and the blogging are my work now.  I want to be at peace and have all loose ends of that work tied up nicely by Friday mid-day.  This is so my mind will not be working as my body enters a time of rest.  I want my mind to be solely focused on whatever thoughts God wants to speak into my Sabbath.

CHECKING AHEAD FOR SPECIAL DAYS

Then there are those seasonal thoughts that must be considered each month.  Purim is coming up. I’ve begun to plan out what we will do to celebrate at our house.  Are there any things relating to that schedule to be wrapped up before I drop that focus for the next 24 hours? 

PREPARING AHEAD FOR PURIM

This is especially hard when a special or appointed time comes right after Shabbat. Often there is no space in between the days.  I check off the fact that this month I’ll have another two weeks before Purim, so I’m pretty safe with those tasks lingering until after Shabbat for this week. 

The thoughts of preparing for Purim remind me of how Esther had to undergo beauty preparations before meeting with the King.  I consider the fact that it is more important to bring a beautiful pure heart before God on Shabbat than all the housekeeping, party planning, or food preparing anyone could ever do. I let those activities rest safely on their own shelf for today. My mind and soul begin to sink into the rhythms of Sabbath keeping. It is so uplifting and meaningful. Every little thing speaks of God and the ways of His Kingdom.

ROSH CHODESH

Then I remember; this Shabbat is also Rosh Chodesh Adar!  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/adar-month-of-joy/

I have to think this over. Is it acceptable to celebrate these two events (Weekly Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh) together?  If I’m so determined to keep Torah, I would prefer to do it correctly.  I search scriptures and determine that it is okay to celebrate these times simultaneously together.  There is less preparation to worry about.  That is good!

So I stop, take a deep breath, and consider the facts surrounding these two blessings that God allows me to participate in this week.  I get to do Shabbat AND Rosh Chodesh.  Now that truly is a great blessing.

I love how The Holy Spirit is constantly whispering in our ears, telling us what matters, helping us to prepare and be ready. We get to be thankful for last month and head into a new beginning. It all happens on this week’s Shabbat.

So now I must run and finish up a few things.  It’s been fun chatting with you about where my heart is right now in relation to worship, Sabbath keeping, festival keeping and being prepared.

Where are you today?  What are your thoughts?  I hope I’ve encouraged you in some small way.  I pray your Sabbath is an amazing blessing this week!

Shabbot Shalom.