"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8).

"It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:11).

"Rest on the Sabbath day" means the conjunction of the Lord with a person,
because a person then has peace and salvation (Heaven and Hell 287:3).

Keeping the Sabbath has always been an important concept in Judaism and Christianity. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were taught not to do any work on the Sabbath day. When the Lord came on earth, He expanded people's concept of the Sabbath by His words and example. He healed many people on the Sabbath day and gleaned wheat for His hungry disciples. The Lord also went to synagogues to read the Word and teach people on the Sabbath.

The teachings of the New Church give us further insight into how we should keep the Sabbath. It is a day for instruction about the Lord and His teachings, for thinking about our spiritual lives, for being kind to our neighbors. The Sabbath is also a time for rest and relaxation because it symbolizes a state of peace and of closeness to the Lord that comes after spiritual struggle and growth (represented by the "six days of labor"). We hope that these materials and ideas will help you explore ways of keeping the Sabbath with your own family and friends.

Highlights for this month include

Quotations from the Word on Keeping the Sabbath

Resting in the Lord by the Rev. Walter Orthwein

  Journal Page: Looking Outward (PDF)

The Lord's Own Joy by the Rev. Donald L. Rose

 Peace Is Like...Accordian Book (PDF)

  Song: Come to Me by the Rev. John Odhner (PDF)

  For Reflection: A Perfect Sabbath (PDF)
       
  Prayers for Children on Keeping the Sabbath (PDF)

  Making a Sabbath Collage (PDF)
       Make a collage illustrating the Lord's teachings about how to spend the Sabbath day. 
    
  Realizing the Potential of the Sabbath (PDF)