“God has dealt graciously with me and…I have plenty.”—Genesis 33:11 (NAS)
“I have to be out of town,” my rabbi said, “and we got this request from the Congregational Church for someone to speak about Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) for their adult series during Lent.”
My best friend, Bonnie, agonized over what to give up for Lent and I’m not sure what our Shabbat had to do with it, but I was game for interfaith work and agreed to speak. The pastor said there would be breakout groups who would need something to take away and reflect on, something meaningful for their Lenten preparation.
I could say something about the Torah origins of Shabbat; I could give some indication of the hundreds of years of arguments about the rules governing the weekly observance; I could explain the ritual objects involved in our home celebration. But what was there for the church members to meditate on that could enrich them during Lent? What kind of new perspective could I suggest?
“There’s one rule for Shabbat that’s very hard for me to follow,” I told them at my presentation. “We’re not supposed to say prayers of petition or ask for anything for ourselves on the Sabbath. On Shabbat, we’re supposed to remember that God provides everything we need, no matter what we think we lack or what we’ve lost or given up.”
The congregation seemed to really respond to that, and they were eager to workshop about it. And I would pray on that as well.
Teach me to remember, God, that You will give me the words to say, just as You give me everything else.
Digging Deeper: Dt 8:3; Ps 37:25
Excerpted from Walking in Grace.
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