Comments on: More on Sabbath Feasting

By: Valerie (Kyriosity)

Valerie (Kyriosity) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:00:24 +0000

Thanks for that link, Brandi. I know what one family’s getting for Christmas!

By: Brandi H.

Brandi H. — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:41:51 +0000

Thank you for writing this. I love the idea of a Sabbath dinner, but it honestly sounds like so much work (on my “day off”!) that i’ve been dragging my feet. this post is a load of grace for me. i’m still adjusting to sundays as a work day for my husband and trying to find ways to make it different from every other day. any advice on that?
i saw a chalkboard oilcloth and thought of you. sounds like fun for the little ones to write on, and lots of creative options…

http://www.ahmercantile.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8750&osCsid=a0465edb9db4c91e87718d03aa707804

By: Renae

Renae — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:40:18 +0000

I took your advice to “do it now!”

And also decided on Saturday evening, because I am in a much better “servant-heart” frame of mind on Saturday than on Sundays, after church, during which time I usually feel like I barely make it through peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before we all head off for naps! I think, if we get this fully implemented and up and running, having a nice Sabbath meal on Saturday night could well help put us in a better frame of mind for worshipping on Sunday morning. We’ll see.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice… this entry was especially helpful for encouraging me to rethink what a Sabbath rest means for a wife and mother of 4 young children, and to not be resentful of service to my family on the Sabbath.

I’m enjoying reading through your entries.

By: Billie

Billie — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:18:15 +0000

Amen!!

EFGrant, As a mom of three very young children, I can sympathize that Sundays often feel like MORE work than the rest of the week. The rest of the week, if we don’t make it to the shower until noon, that’s fine. If the kids get their shirts dirty, that’s fine, too. On Sundays, showers have to be prompt and the kids have to STAY clean (at least until after worship!) and this is work! Planning a big feast all by myself on top of that is just more than overwhelming. I was very distraught about this until I talked to a dear friend who said that at my stage in life, sometimes a Sabbath feast is just that because that’s what we decide to call it. Maybe we just put a couple candles on the table or sing our favorite communion hymn as our prayer, but we are setting it apart. When my daughter is grown and can help and my sons are married and have wives that can help, we can get one of those ginormous Amish built tables the Wilson family has and REALLY have a feast–but not if we don’t start building our traditions and setting Sunday apart now. If you have family or friends that would share in the preparation and celebration–great! If not, look to the future and the blessing your vision can have upon your children and grandchildren–and know you’re not alone!!

They’ll never remember if the roast was cooked in the oven or the crock pot–or even that it was a roast, probably. But they’ll remember that mom lit the candles and that meant it was special.

By: nancyann

nancyann — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:33:01 +0000

Just a few thoughts regarding your question. Yes, Sunday is a day of rest. That means you don’t do your usual work of laundry and grocery shopping or waxing the floors. But we sometimes get in our mind that Sunday means a day without lifting a finger, so we feel cheated when we don’t achieve it. And quite frankly, that’s just impossible for mothers unless they are staying at a resort hotel somewhere. Having such a standard is a set up for disappointment. So, rather than feeling miserable that you never have a work-free Sunday (no dishes, etc.), I think it’s better if we think of keeping it simple and letting some things go until Monday. But not everything. Our family celebrates on Saturday night, which keeps our Sunday less congested. My favorite after-church menu is cold cuts, cheese, some good bread, maybe some fruit or a salad. But even with a simple menu, you still have to wipe up the crumbs, and probably change some diapers, and wipe faces, etc. A mother still has many things to do on Sunday that would fall under the heading of acts of necessity and mercy. So I think we should take it easy as much as we can while extending mercy to our families and friends who are celebrating with us. I don’t think it is wise for moms to compare their own work load on Sunday to the rest of the family….that could lead to resentment. Mothers have the blessed responsibility of ministering to the whole family. So, if you are feeling strung out on Sunday, by all means rethink what you are doing. But don’t have a false standard of what a day of rest looks like. Celebrating the Lord’s Day is a kind of work, but I think it is an entirely lawful kind of work. If we are going to take one day in seven to worship, to fellowship, and rejoice around a table, it will require a different kind of work than what is needed through out the week. But it is a good work, and if it is done with a rejoicing sabbath spirit, I think it can still be restful to our souls.

By: EFGrant

EFGrant — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 17:29:29 +0000

As a woman who troes to keep the Sabbath holy, and who tries to prepare a wonderful meal for Sunday dinner, I do need to ask how one gets away from the fact that this is still “work” on the Sabbath for a woman. I can do some planning and prep on Saturday, but there is still work to be done cleaning up the dishes, and all that– unless I use paper plates, bowls and casserole dishes or simply put kitchen cleanup off until Monday. On high holidays, such as Easter, I always minimise my work by cooking the lamb on Saturday, carving it and simply letting it sit in its juices until Sunday, putting it in the oven to warm while we are at church. Most things can be planned this way, and I don’t mind that at all. I’m just wondering whether the mother gets as much “rest” as the rest of the family and how the head of the household should address this?

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:25:38 +0000

This question of legality intriued me. So I found and offer this link, Underage Consumption of Alcohol.

By: nancyann

nancyann — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:16:19 +0000

Thanks for bringing this up. We checked on this when we first started our Sabbath dinners and my husband got a legal opinion about the Idaho state law. He was told that in our state parents can serve their children wine in their presence at the dinner table. But you should check the law in your state before you do so. Also, Idaho allows for communion wine served to children for religious purposes. If the Idaho law forbade parents serving their children a sip of wine with dinner, I doubt we would make a big issue over it. But if the state forbade our children from taking the Lord’s Supper with us, I’m pretty sure there would be a stink.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 01:15:13 +0000

This is such a wonderful post — I’m almost reluctant to comment with this, for fear of raining on the parade. This may seem really silly to ask, but it has come up, and I’d like to make it go away legitimately, not just by dismissing it. How do you get around the legal issues involved in letting young children drink wine at the table? I’d love to include them in this, and of course I have no fear of it being abused in my home in that setting, or of anybody “ratting on us.” Yet I don’t want to teach my little ones a disrespect for civil law by just doing “whatever I want, as long as I don’t get caught.” (My 6-yr-old is particularly shrewd, and has already asked how it’s okay for her to take wine in communion at her age.) How do you work this out? Thanks.

By: Uri

Uri — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:45:33 +0000

very helpful nancy…thanks.