Honoring the Sabbath

I just finished reading a simple but inspiring book that my sister-in-law gave me a few months ago: Living Simply: Choosing Less in a World of More by Joanne Heim.  I just finished reading it; and I just started re-reading it.

It is such a refreshing look at how we live and how we could live.  The whole book talks about intentionally choosing a simpler life in the face of a culture constantly screaming that we need more--more stuff, more money, more activities, more trips, more nights out, more, more, more.  This message is one I need repeated.

One chapter talks about the Sabbath and how our culture has begun to treat Sunday as a regular day full of errands and activities.  Heim remembers coming home from church as a child and smelling the pot roast supper her mother had prepared. Her mom had set the dining room table with china the night before and had done the prep work on the meal to make it easy for Sunday.  When the family got home from church, they brought another family or couple with them to share the meal.  Heim asks what has happened to this tradition?

I thought this was worth bringing up to my family. So, Saturday night at dinner, I told my husband and the big kids about what I'd been reading. We talked about why Sunday should be set apart as a special day and wondered what we could do to make it special.  Everyone was excited!

Two suggestions that Heim makes about thinking through a Sabbath are--stay flexible and plan ahead.  She knows that for her, family time and being restful are a part of honoring the Lord's day, so she doesn't want to be scurrying around all day.

Sunday, I put a whole chicken in the crockpot before church, made scalloped potatoes that afternoon (which was super time-consuming, not necessarily restful!), made a cake with the kids and put it in the oven as the potatoes came out and we made the salad. We set the dining room table and lit the candles.  We brought in the children's Bible to read a story and talk about while we were eating.  It was such a special meal, and we really all enjoyed treating Sunday as a special day.  We want to incorporate asking other people to dinner in the future!

How do other families honor Sundays?

**(By the way, if you didn't see Rachel's comment from the last post, please look because I want to know a recipe idea like that, too! Please add your own comment with any last-minute recipe ideas!)