Your Personal Sabbath

When AR asked you “What’s special to you about Sabbath keeping?” here’s how you responded:

The Sabbath is for me a special day to meet and my fellow believers to meet with Jesus. It reminds me of my reasons to live, to work, and rest, and glorify our Creator. On Sabbath I never think of life’s hardships or everyday business. What appeals to me most is such activities as visiting the sick, sharing Christ with nonbelievers, and singing in my church choir. On Sabbath I am in a new world.

Francois Ndwaniye, professor of Agriculture

For me, the Sabbath is about being intentional in focusing on God and His presence in my life. I take time for quiet reflection and plan activities that are different from things I do on other days of the week. It’s so easy to drift away and forget how much God does for me, so I’m grateful for a day set aside to specifically remember.

Sharon Dudgeon, radio station manager

For me Sabbath is a time for reconnecting with family, with fellow believers, and with God. I cherish the “extra” hours it affords us for family worship and conversation. My TGIFs are in anticipation of the fellowship and worship opportunity. Reconnecting with God and my “people” on Sabbath is beyond a cliché. It’s real.

Easton Marks, pastor

I’ve enjoyed Sabbathkeeping from my childhood. On Friday the aroma of a clean house and special food that our family would enjoy together were part of the preparation for welcoming the Lord’s day. All our regular daily activities came to a halt. We sang, prayed, and recited favorite texts. Since I established my own home the Sabbath has continued to be a day for togetherness with God and family, remembering Bible texts, and singing praises to the God who made the heavens and the earth. For me Sabbath means meeting and praising the God who is my Creator, and enjoying family togetherness.

Leticia De los Santos, pastor’s wife

When I celebrate the Sabbath, whether alone or with my family, I’m held captive by two feelings: gratitude, and hope. I look backward with gratitude, because my Creator and Redeemer is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27, 28). I contemplate the future with hope, because Sabbath rest anticipates the eternal rest that Christ has promised (Rev. 1:7; 21:4; Isa. 66:22, 23). Whether welcoming or closing the Sabbath, expressions of praise and gratitude, along with reflection on Bible promises related to Christ’s second coming, are essential elements of our Sabbath celebration.

Abner De los Santos, church administrator

My days are filled with the business of busyness. Work, family, caring for aging relatives and friends, volunteering, softball, and music all compete for time on my schedule. The Sabbath is a weekly pause in my frenetic pace, a time to recharge, knowing my multiple roles happen because my Creator blessed me with a skill set, intellect, and passion to show His love through my life.

Tola Kingsbury Ewers, researcher

Sabbath is special because it represents a day of liberation. I view the Sabbath as a day where I can be free from the stresses of the week and be at peace in every sense. One unique thing I do before Sabbath on Friday afternoons is to text my close friend from back home, with an acronym TGIAS (Thank God It’s Almost Sabbath). Before either of us were baptized, we always joked about how our mood on Friday afternoons was usually TGIF . So now we text each other as a reminder of something much better to look forward to than just a weekend break.

Jonathan Blanco, doctoral student

Sabbathkeeping is special to me because every single week the usual grind stops and a change takes place in both me and my husband. In addition to not engaging in secular activities, we avoid even discussing stressful topics. Heaven feels closer on Sabbath. God feels closer on Sabbath.

Chloe Murnighan, pastor’s wife

The Sabbath is my joy! It’s a day I look forward to every week with earnest longing. Despite any anxiety or sorrows I may have, they are lifted as I rest in the embrace of the Prince of Peace.

Kahlilia Blanco, neuroscientist

Sabbath is joy, a time of joyful remembrance of whose I am. I cherish the Sabbath hours, when I am reminded that there is more to life than what I encounter day to day. Jesus is coming again, which means I can keep my eyes looking above, knowing that the best is yet to come. Sabbath brings forth the joyful remembrance of our Creator’s love

Adrienne Townsend Benton, Navy chaplain

The Sabbath is hope, peace, stability, and rest all wrapped in one package. Entering into the Sabbath is delightful relief from the cares of this world. We enjoy worshipping our heavenly Father, receiving refreshment from His presence and fellowship with our brothers and sister in Christ.

Theron Benton, hotel employee

I look forward to the Sabbath and worshipping God with other believers. It is a double blessing to teach the lesson, to be a guest speaker, or to do music when needed. I have such a sense of peace and security when I sit with my wife and family together in God’s house. God is good!

Mark Trethewey, mechanical engineer

When I think of Sabbath, I am flooded with a lifetime of memories:

Sabbath socks, Sabbath songs, and Sabbath School,

Sermons, twist curls, and fanning,

Family, food, friends, and happy chatter,

Sweet sleep, Communion, and being reminded to Remember—

To keep this heaven’s foretaste holy.

Ruth Williams, college psychology professor

When I was a child, Sabbath was ushered in with the smell of freshly baked goodies. Back then it was the time for clean linens, dust-free furniture, polished shoes, Bible games, singing together (lots of singing), and hours of fellowship. In our home we sing together, listen to music or sermons, share stories of God’s goodness throughout the week, talk about what Sabbath in heaven would be like, go for walks, and visit sick or shut-in friends.

Lucy Randall, social worker

The Sabbath experience is like no other! It gives me the opportunity to joyfully serve, yet truly have rest in Christ after a challenging workweek. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder of my matchless Creator and Savior. In the words of a song I learned as a child, “Sabbath is a happy day, happy day, happy day. . . . I love every Sabbath”!

Roycelyn Mentor-Marcel, research scientist