Preparation Day
Our family look forward to the end of the week when we keep Yehovah’s Sabbath Day. To prepare for this Day, Yehovah has designated the day before the Sabbath as the day for preparing for the Sabbath. This day is Preparation Day. So, on the day before the Sabbath, I work diligently to plan and cook the meals ahead of time so there will be no cooking, or baking any foods or meals on the Sabbath. After the Sabbath Teaching, I look forward to our bonding through conversations at meal time. Sometimes we have family and friends who spend the Sabbath with us. So, I prepare easy choices for snacks and make them available with quick and easy access to both children and guests who are staying over on the Sabbath.
Meal preparations
We do not cook or bake on the Sabbath. We do all our preparations on Preparation day, the day before the Sabbath, in obedience to Yehovah’s commandments (Exodus 16:23; 35:3). Breakfast and snacks require no cooking and are simple for self serving. I set out some snacks in sealed containers on the kitchen island, and others in the refrigerator, for quick and easy self-serve access to children, and the guests who are staying with us.
Dinner Conversations
At the dinner table we meet and have conversations, which may stem from a question about the Sabbath Lesson or just a question to get feedback on the everyday application of a Bible verse or instruction. Other topics of conversation may develop sharing old experiences or recent experiences which bring us up to date with each other’s life and help us to get to know each other better. Sometimes we walk down memory lane and share funny experiences that make each other laugh.
However, during our conversations we seek to keep our conversations holy, knowing that we are in Yehovah’s holy presence. Sometimes, a conversation starts but rapidly deteriorates to the inappropriate category because we do not pivot out of it quickly.
Be Transformed By the Renewing of Your Mind
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2).
We are mindful in our conversation topics to honor the presence of the King in our midst. So, our topic does not mindlessly please self or each other. Mindless conversations can take us in a direction, which is headed on a downward slide.
So, we are exercising restraint over our minds to tame our tongues on this Holy Sabbath Day of Yehovah. We are not seeking to please ourselves, but please Him. We honor this Day of covenant celebration with our King and His covenant (Exodus 20:8; 31:13-18; Isaiah 56:1-8; Jeremiah 17:19-27).
Honor the Presence of the King
Each family member and guest in our home is an individual with unique personalities. We are together in this place for a specific reason, to honor the King on His Holy Day. Therefore, the spirit and purpose of the Day rules our conversations (Exodus 20:8-11). This day is special unto Yehovah our God, The Creator and King of the universe (Isaiah 40:28). He has commanded us to keep His special day, holy. He has given it to us as a gift (Exodus 16:28-30), and we honor and cherish this gift. So, when we gather on the Sabbath, we recognize that He is present. Therefore, so we seek to please Him (1 John 3:22) and not ourselves. He is holy (Exodus 31:15-17) and on this day, we are learning and practicing how to welcome His Holy presence.
So, this dinner time is not like the other six (6) dinner times we have throughout the week. This dinner table on the Sabbath is extra special and requires us to be on our best behavior.
We do not want to cause the members at the table to cower and not join the conversations. And we do not want to embarrass anyone whose topic got off tangent. So, be mindful to find a way to respectfully and skillfully redirect the conversation to a different focus.
Please God Instead of Ourselves
Eventually, the family becomes aware that we are all learning to help each other on this journey. Once we become aware, we will appreciate the help we receive from others on our journey. In this way, we are doing our part to help each other to keep the day holy. If not, then we are all culpable for violating the Holy Sabbath.
As we get better at our conversations on the Sabbath, we will find that this Holy Day becomes a delight. Soon we will choose to replicate it on the other six days of the week. And, it will soon become part of our nature as our awareness and our desire to be holy grows. No one person has the responsibility of managing the conversations at the table. This is the responsibility of all members at the table, because we are all learning how to please the King.
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