An Invitation to Shabbat

Bread (Photo by Svetlana B on Unsplash)

“Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath, so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

I’m Juliet and I’m a recovering workaholic. I landed myself in the hospital with stress-related health problems from overwork twice before I turned 30. It’s with no little irony that I mention that this high-intensity, stressful job was…organizing prayer and evangelism efforts at a church. My boss–a pastor–would frequently say things like “it’s a beautiful day, why don’t you take a break and read in Bryant Park for a bit?” And I’d think to myself, “cut your hair hippie, there’s work to do!” 

My recovery began when my job was eliminated due to a restructuring (it was a large church) and I moved to DC as part of a “third-decade crisis.” DC, though a very busy city, is a much easier place to live in than New York. In DC, I didn’t have to work as hard for so little as I had in New York. Still, being unemployed for 18 months in a city where the first thing people ask is “what do you do?” will definitely teach you not to base your entire identity and personality on your work. 

What that 18 month forced-sabbatical taught me was that God is truly lord of the Sabbath. God provided community, odd jobs, food, and even a new pair of shoes during that hard season. God also changed my identity. I went from seeing myself in my work, to seeing myself as Beloved. God turned a wilderness experience like unemployment into one of the most profoundly joyful experiences of my life. I needed the time to rest and the time to be with him. And I needed to be set free from my constant working and striving and overachieving, to learn to just be God’s child.

While not-working and resting seems like a crazy idea in this very impact-and-mission-driven area, it was an even more radical idea to the people of Israel when God commanded them to: 

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. Exodus 20:8-10

The people who were given this commandment had been stripped of their identity as children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God’s chosen people. Instead, they were enslaved and at the mercy of the Egyptians. To a formerly enslaved person, being commanded to take one day of rest must have felt like a luxury after so many years of oppression. The children of Israel were given a sabbath or shabbat, in Hebrew, as a “sign” between them and God affirming their identity as God’s people. In fact, while one is in the process of converting to Orthodox Judaism, they are required to “break Shabbat” in a small way, since Shabbat was specifically given to the Jewish people–not the nations, or Gentiles.

The rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, in his 1951 book, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man:

Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the

Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has

our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. … The seventh day is like a palace

in time with a kingdom for all. It is not a date but an atmosphere. …The Sabbath is no

time for personal anxiety or care, for any activity that might dampen the spirit of joy. (excerpts from pp 8, 18-19, 21)

Shabbat is a cornerstone of Jewish life. Through our sons’ school, Agudas Achim Preschool, our family has learned to practice this time of rest. We’ve started incorporating shabbat’s rhythm of rest and the freedom from consumption, busyness, and distraction, by picking one day out of the weekend to let the dishes, chores, and errands pile up while we hang out with friends and family (and hopefully squeeze in a nap). We’ve found that inviting friends and family over on Friday nights to light the candles, recite the blessings, and enjoy a lovely meal is the best way to kick off a weekend. 

We don’t take for granted that our very Christian family, has been graciously invited into this ancient practice by this beloved Jewish community. Between October 7, 2023 and September 2024, there were over 10,000 reported antisemtiic incidents, a roughly 200% rise in the United States alone. There is every reason for members of this community to mistrust non-Jews, but instead, we’ve always been met with love and acceptance.

On Friday, May 16, at 5:30pm you are invited to join this “kingdom for all” as our church partners with Agudas Achim Congregation’s Young Families for an interfaith shabbat dinner at the Fairlington Community Center (you can sign up here, space is limited).You will be given a taste of eternity, along with some bread, wine (grape juice), and pizza. We will bless God for the fruit of the True Vine and the Bread that he brought forth from the earth. And we will have an opportunity to bless our Jewish neighbors, as they will bless us with the priestly blessing from Numbers 6:23-27, recited every Shabbat:

“The LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you. The LORD turn his face to you and give you peace.”

~ Juliet Vedral