Comments on: Sabbath at Oxford http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:13:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 By: Rayia http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-3558 Rayia Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:26:26 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-3558 Just lovely, I cried through the whole thing! What a joy it must be for you to feel so free and relaxed, that nothing needs to be perfect, it just needs to be! I long to bless my family with a lovely Sabbath tradition such as this and long to give my children the wholeness of the table and feasting, I want my children to taste and see that the Lord is good. But my Sundays are filled with rushing to church, then constant corrections and quieting of children during church,( I don't think I've sat through a whole church service in 3 years) so by the time I get home all I can think about is getting into bed for a nap. My husband often works Saturday, and as a CNA he is often gone from 2:00 pm -11:00pm, so that rules out Saturday feasting. What can I do? I want my children to have fat souls! Just lovely, I cried through the whole thing! What a joy it must be for you to feel so free and relaxed, that nothing needs to be perfect, it just needs to be! I long to bless my family with a lovely Sabbath tradition such as this and long to give my children the wholeness of the table and feasting, I want my children to taste and see that the Lord is good. But my Sundays are filled with rushing to church, then constant corrections and quieting of children during church,( I don’t think I’ve sat through a whole church service in 3 years) so by the time I get home all I can think about is getting into bed for a nap. My husband often works Saturday, and as a CNA he is often gone from 2:00 pm -11:00pm, so that rules out Saturday feasting. What can I do? I want my children to have fat souls!

]]> By: Billie http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-198 Billie Mon, 14 May 2007 03:51:17 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-198 Valerie, No problem! :) Also, for anyone else who decides to do that, most copy stores will laminate. Nancy, My husband and I were discussing the alcoholic beverage for the feast--spurred by his reading of Mother Kirk and your witty husband's assessment of Michelob--and we've decided that Canon press needs to publish Discovering Beer, a companion to Joanna Simon's Discovering Wine for those of us who don't know what real beer is (other than perhaps a Black & Tan) :) Valerie,

No problem! :) Also, for anyone else who decides to do that, most copy stores will laminate.

Nancy,

My husband and I were discussing the alcoholic beverage for the feast–spurred by his reading of Mother Kirk and your witty husband’s assessment of Michelob–and we’ve decided that Canon press needs to publish Discovering Beer, a companion to Joanna Simon’s Discovering Wine for those of us who don’t know what real beer is (other than perhaps a Black & Tan) :)

]]> By: Katie Hurt http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-159 Katie Hurt Thu, 10 May 2007 12:45:40 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-159 I love this post Nancy. It makes me want to go to Oxford for one of the Merkles' Sabbath feasts. Our favorite toast story: Virgil told the children to all think of a toast one night. Calvin (four at the time) raised his wine glass and shouted, "Grilled cheese!" I love this post Nancy. It makes me want to go to Oxford for one of the Merkles’ Sabbath feasts. Our favorite toast story: Virgil told the children to all think of a toast one night. Calvin (four at the time) raised his wine glass and shouted, “Grilled cheese!”

]]> By: Nikki http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-147 Nikki Tue, 08 May 2007 21:10:37 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-147 My husband and I just implemented this idea into our week in January and it has been a pure DELIGHT. We even managed to keep it going when our second son was born in February. Of course the meal was not elaborate and consisted of left-over pizza at times, but it was all on a beautiful table, we got to sit and bless one another and most importantly we got to laugh. Now my husband is adding new things here and there and he comments to me how much he LOVES the Shabbat. It has been the best addition. I look forward to making the Shabbat (Sabbath) meal the best one of the week and we love having people over to share in our time together. Both my husband and I know that God has used the meal on Saturday nights to keep us close even after having a newborn (we have two under age two). Keep encouraging women to incorporate this into their homes. It's so worth the effort. It's such a blessing. My husband and I just implemented this idea into our week in January and it has been a pure DELIGHT. We even managed to keep it going when our second son was born in February. Of course the meal was not elaborate and consisted of left-over pizza at times, but it was all on a beautiful table, we got to sit and bless one another and most importantly we got to laugh. Now my husband is adding new things here and there and he comments to me how much he LOVES the Shabbat. It has been the best addition. I look forward to making the Shabbat (Sabbath) meal the best one of the week and we love having people over to share in our time together. Both my husband and I know that God has used the meal on Saturday nights to keep us close even after having a newborn (we have two under age two). Keep encouraging women to incorporate this into their homes. It’s so worth the effort. It’s such a blessing.

]]> By: Valerie (Kyriosity) http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-145 Valerie (Kyriosity) Tue, 08 May 2007 16:22:45 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-145 Billie, Sorry I missed your comment before. I'll keep that idea in mind. I even have my own laminator, so it's very doable. Thanks! Billie,

Sorry I missed your comment before. I’ll keep that idea in mind. I even have my own laminator, so it’s very doable. Thanks!

]]> By: Luma Simms http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-144 Luma Simms Tue, 08 May 2007 16:22:33 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-144 Nancy, I understand completely what you are saying. This, like other things in life, grows and matures as we grow and mature. I do remember, and am embarrassed to confess, that when we first started doing this 3 years ago I did try to put pressure on Geoff to have these "perfect" Sabbath meals. I was usually pushing to get him to pray certain things and to say certain blessings or whatever I thought at the time created the "perfect" liturgy for our family. I knew that I wasn't supposed to write the liturgy or run this event myself, so instead I tried to get him to do it, knowing I should not be trying to lead through him. We have wonderful Sabbath meals now. The girls look forward to it, and love to help. It has become a part of our three-year-olds life and she loves giving "cheers" (that's what she calls toasts). Her favorite is: " I have a cheers, to blessings to God to blessings" and we all say "Amen." I've learned to let it be whatever Geoff decides he wants it to be. Once in a while the "old man" in me comes out and I say or do something that is me trying to "lead" in this area. It is something I am trying to mortify, and not in this area only. It comes out in all areas where I think I know better than my husband. So again and again I must run to the Lord for repentance and cleansing. Praise be to God for His Grace! Nancy,

I understand completely what you are saying. This, like other things in life, grows and matures as we grow and mature. I do remember, and am embarrassed to confess, that when we first started doing this 3 years ago I did try to put pressure on Geoff to have these “perfect” Sabbath meals. I was usually pushing to get him to pray certain things and to say certain blessings or whatever I thought at the time created the “perfect” liturgy for our family. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to write the liturgy or run this event myself, so instead I tried to get him to do it, knowing I should not be trying to lead through him.

We have wonderful Sabbath meals now. The girls look forward to it, and love to help. It has become a part of our three-year-olds life and she loves giving “cheers” (that’s what she calls toasts). Her favorite is: ” I have a cheers, to blessings to God to blessings” and we all say “Amen.” I’ve learned to let it be whatever Geoff decides he wants it to be. Once in a while the “old man” in me comes out and I say or do something that is me trying to “lead” in this area. It is something I am trying to mortify, and not in this area only. It comes out in all areas where I think I know better than my husband. So again and again I must run to the Lord for repentance and cleansing.

Praise be to God for His Grace!

]]> By: nancyann http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-142 nancyann Tue, 08 May 2007 04:43:55 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-142 First off, let me say that I am not promoting our liturgy or the Merkles' liturgy in particular. Each family will no doubt develop its own, that's the whole idea. Back when Knox was big enough to stand up in his highchair and dance with his hands on his tummy, we made up a song about tummy dance that worked its way into the dessert liturgy....but we grew past that. Still, it was fun at the time. Having a liturgy is great, but there is no need to include all the bells and whistles if it will be a hardship.(You can have it at the end of the meal if you're worried about hot food.) This is supposed to be an overflow of joy, not a requirement that we feel burdened with. Having said all that, our liturgy is easy enough that we include our guests. We do give them a heads up that we will be toasting. The rest they just follow along. We once had an atheist to our Sabbath dinner after Doug had debated him at the U of I. He was very struck by it. Just last week we had a young man who calls himself an agnostic. We keep the liturgy as it. If we have people who don't drink wine, I put sparkling juice in their glasses and we don't make a big deal about it. We want them to feel comfortable. And in all this, it's so important that the head of the house leads the way. I did not write our liturgy; Doug did. By writing about the sabbath, I am not suggesting that wives begin hounding their husbands about it. I guarantee that will be a flop. The Sabbath feast is not a show to impress people. It is a celebration welcoming the Lord's Day. If it is a joy, I doubt the grandparents will have grounds to object (although they still might). But if the children look tortured, then you are asking for trouble all around. If the kids don't like it, you probably need to rethink what you are doing. It should not be over their heads. And the goal is to get them to look forward to this all week. First off, let me say that I am not promoting our liturgy or the Merkles’ liturgy in particular. Each family will no doubt develop its own, that’s the whole idea. Back when Knox was big enough to stand up in his highchair and dance with his hands on his tummy, we made up a song about tummy dance that worked its way into the dessert liturgy….but we grew past that. Still, it was fun at the time. Having a liturgy is great, but there is no need to include all the bells and whistles if it will be a hardship.(You can have it at the end of the meal if you’re worried about hot food.) This is supposed to be an overflow of joy, not a requirement that we feel burdened with. Having said all that, our liturgy is easy enough that we include our guests. We do give them a heads up that we will be toasting. The rest they just follow along. We once had an atheist to our Sabbath dinner after Doug had debated him at the U of I. He was very struck by it. Just last week we had a young man who calls himself an agnostic. We keep the liturgy as it. If we have people who don’t drink wine, I put sparkling juice in their glasses and we don’t make a big deal about it. We want them to feel comfortable. And in all this, it’s so important that the head of the house leads the way. I did not write our liturgy; Doug did. By writing about the sabbath, I am not suggesting that wives begin hounding their husbands about it. I guarantee that will be a flop. The Sabbath feast is not a show to impress people. It is a celebration welcoming the Lord’s Day. If it is a joy, I doubt the grandparents will have grounds to object (although they still might). But if the children look tortured, then you are asking for trouble all around. If the kids don’t like it, you probably need to rethink what you are doing. It should not be over their heads. And the goal is to get them to look forward to this all week.

]]> By: Luma Simms http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-140 Luma Simms Mon, 07 May 2007 16:48:24 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-140 How wonderful to see your children walking in such faithfulness and your grandchildren like olive branches around the table! I take such encouragement from this. I have a couple of question that have come up for us over and over again: Do you still do the liturgy when you have guests? And what about when you have guests that are not Christian or parents who are not comfortable with how "religious" you are? Any wisdom on this would be appreciated. How wonderful to see your children walking in such faithfulness and your grandchildren like olive branches around the table!

I take such encouragement from this.

I have a couple of question that have come up for us over and over again: Do you still do the liturgy when you have guests? And what about when you have guests that are not Christian or parents who are not comfortable with how “religious” you are?

Any wisdom on this would be appreciated.

]]> By: Valerie (Kyriosity) http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-139 Valerie (Kyriosity) Mon, 07 May 2007 12:52:16 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-139 Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Barbara Ann, what about doing a liturgy after the meal, instead? ~Valerie-Valera-ha-ha-ha Anne Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Barbara Ann, what about doing a liturgy after the meal, instead?

~Valerie-Valera-ha-ha-ha Anne

]]> By: Christopher Witmer http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-138 Christopher Witmer Mon, 07 May 2007 08:27:34 +0000 http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2007/05/05/sabbath-at-oxford/#comment-138 Dear Barb, you might consider a Japanese-style Sabbath feast. If it's all raw you don't need to get anything steaming hot. Jes tryin' to be helpful . . . Dear Barb, you might consider a Japanese-style Sabbath feast. If it’s all raw you don’t need to get anything steaming hot. Jes tryin’ to be helpful . . .

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