Church Leaders call for a better observance of the Sabbath Day


pam
 Share

Recommended Posts

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are urging Mormons around the world to improve their observance of the Sabbath day. In local and regional leadership training meetings this year, leaders are receiving instruction on the topic of strengthening faith in God by observing the Sabbath day with greater purpose.

 

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that Church leaders have felt the importance of encouraging families and individuals to rethink and refocus their efforts on what they do on the Sabbath day. “Our whole desire is that throughout the Church, we focus our Sabbath day worship on the Lord,” he said. 

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-leaders-call-for-better-observance-of-sabbath-day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has been a personal weakness of mine for a while, and it's been on my mind a bit lately.  Glad to get this call to get my act together.  :)

 

Same here JAG.  What I fear though is that members are going to require leaders to put out an itemized listing of what is allowed or not allowed on Sunday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During training we were told that Sabbath day observance will not only bless the members, but everyone in the entire world.  

 

What I felt was that Sabbath day observance is actually a really big deal, it has not been happening as it should, and huge blessings will come from keeping the Sabbath day holy.

 

It was powerful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has been a personal weakness of mine for a while, and it's been on my mind a bit lately.  Glad to get this call to get my act together.  :)

 

 

Same here.  We are repenting.  

 

Being called to repentance is humbling, especially when it's in a meetinghouse chapel with an apostle, four 70's, and a  presiding bishopric member.  Ouch, but I guess it's the good kind of ouch.

 

 

p.s.  Anyone that says that higher church leadership is out of touch with the members is very, very wrong and in a desperate situation.  Church leadership is in touch and completely aware of the issues, 100%.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During training we were told that Sabbath day observance will not only bless the members, but everyone in the entire world.  

 

What I felt was that Sabbath day observance is actually a really big deal, it has not been happening as it should, and huge blessings will come from keeping the Sabbath day holy.

 

It was powerful.

 

I often can't help but think that every member of the church should spend a (Jewish) Sabbath with an Orthodox Jewish family.  I think having come from that, gave me a perspective on honoring the Sabbath day and keeping it holy that most people don't have. Not that we would need to take on everything....no driving...no turning lights on and off, etc.....but I think the focus on the Sabbath and the whole mind-set would be really eye-opening and helpful.  As an Orthodox Jew, everything - and I do mean everything - you did was focused on keeping the Sabbath.  Shomer Shabbat.   You really did step away from the world for 25 hours.

 

When I first moved into my current ward, the bishop took some time to get to know me.  We all know you should be careful what you share with the bishop, right?   :D   One time, we talked about keeping the Sabbath and he had lots of questions regarding what my customs had been.  He then declared that he thought it would be great if I could give a lesson on keeping the Sabbath. I think he forgot about it, but one of his councilors recently mentioned it. Yikes.

 

I think if I mention that endless meetings were not part of the tradition (you do not discuss/make plans on the Sabbath for anything that occurs after the Sabbath), that might be a popular idea with some.  And for those that grumble about the three-hour block - they might have a different perspective after learning that Jews have an obligation to pray three times a day and the Sabbath (and therefore the observance thereof) spans a 25 hour period of sunset to sunset.  So you start Friday night with maariv (the third prayer service of the day, and on Shabbat this is followed by a festive meal.  Best meals ever), continue Saturday morning with Shacharit - which in itself is usually about three hours long -, followed by mincha in the afternoon- the mid-day prayers (and in my synagogue and many others), this was preceeded by a kiddush lunch - which was a marvelous opportunity to socialize amd feel like family -, with maariv again at the close of the day.  Shabbat would then be officially ended with a ritual/blessing called Havdalah.

 

Between mincha in the early afternoon and maariv at the end of the day, there would be various activities happening, but the focus was always on Shabbat.  Since driving is forbidden on Shabbat, everyone lives within walking distance of the shul (synagogue).  So there would be lots of interaction between families/members during that time.

Before my conversion, the shul (very old building that had its issues, but was very beloved for it's quirkiness at the same time) was near a small park, so often in the nice weather, families would stop there to let the children work off some of their excess energy.  Then people would wander off either to their own home for a Shabbos nap (a time-honored tradition with no shame whatsoever!) or to attend to the needs of babies and young children, or go to another home in the neighborhood.  Yes, some socializing would go on, but there was always, always Torah study going on by everyone for a good chunk of the afternoon.  Some of it would be somewhat structured - I remember we had a women's group who studied Pirke Avot during the appropriate time of the year, and there might be groups of men who were wrestling with a particular portion of the Torah together - but most of it was informal and spontaneous, a natural outgrowth of that week's midrash or a question brought up by someone.  But always, always everyone studied Torah in those hours.

 

All of those things, combined with the complete and absolute absence of telephones, TV watching, etc. combined for the best, most amazing day of the week.

 

I remember a woman once - who grew up in the liberal end of Judaism (which, to me, has become so far removed from traditional Judaism as to be unrecognizable) - telling the rabbi that she couldn't possibly be Shomer Shabbos (Sabbath observant) because then when would she get the laundry and the housework done?  She just didn't have "time" to observe the Sabbath.   The rabbi assured her that if she honored those 25 hours, she would find that she did indeed still have time to do everything else.  That would be part of the blessings received.  So this woman gradually increased her Sabbath observance.  Some time later, she joyfully told the rabbi that she was now Shomer Shabbos and that the strangest thing happened - she had no trouble getting the housework and other "have-tos" done on the other six days of the week!

 

One thing I forgot to mention....Shabbat is always ushered in by the lighting of the candles.  This occurs prior to sunset (no kindling of a fire once Shabbat has begun) and is always done by the women (unless there is no woman in a household).   Usually two candles are lit (although you can light more) and it is customary to have candlesticks that are used only for Shabbat.  The bracha (blessing) is said and Shabbat has officially begun.

 

I really miss the candle-lighting.  I miss that special moment of transition between the rest of the week and Shabbat.  The house has been cleaned, the food prepared (no cooking on Shabbat), TV is off, phones are off.  Then you light the candles, say the bracha and you can feel the peace descending.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Being called to repentance is humbling, especially when it's in a meetinghouse chapel with an apostle, four 70's, and a  presiding bishopric member.  Ouch, but I guess it's the good kind of ouch.

 

 

 

 

I guess the Brethren go where they are needed most :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Wasn't there a period in church history where rain was withheld from the members in So. Utah?  They were told to become better at paying tithing.  I feel like this is one of those kinds of things as well.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the Brethren go where they are needed most :)

So very true. We have several unique challenges in our area.

We had a different apostle visit just a few months before the last one. Two apostles and three different 70's from the first quorum in less than a year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Wasn't there a period in church history where rain was withheld from the members in So. Utah?  They were told to become better at paying tithing.  I feel like this is one of those kinds of things as well.  

 

This was in St George, I think in the mid 1890's, and I believe the statement was made by President Snow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share