Rediscover the Sabbath

Editorial by Lillian Torres

This editorial was published in the Pennsylvania Conference devotional, Back to the Altar. To order a copy, visit paconference.org/devotional-book.

My first Sabbath experience at the Morris Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bronx, N.Y., impacted my life for eternity. Listening to the sermon, I knew I had found the right church. My journey to understanding the Sabbath was gradual, but as I slowly grasped its significance, the Sabbath became a solemn and holy experience.

Thursday evenings were now spent preparing for the arrival of the holy Sabbath day. My home was meticulously cleaned, the Sabbath meal was prepared, clothes were pressed and set aside, and the aroma of fresh flowers filled the air. Before the sun set Friday evening, a special white lace tablecloth was placed on the table, reserved exclusively for the Sabbath. I would play worship music that I only listened to on the Sabbath, filling the house with a spirit of worship.

As the sun set, I would sing songs of thanksgiving and fall asleep reading The Desire of Ages, eagerly waiting for the night to pass so I could worship God in His holy temple. I looked forward to the fulfillment of the promise: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa. 58:13–14, NKJV).

Throughout the holy hours of the Sabbath, I was [and still am] careful not to engage in anything that would desecrate the day or distract me from worshipping God. As the sacred hours passed, filled with worship, fellowship with fellow believers, and service to God, the thought of the day ending filled my heart with sadness. I didn’t want to leave the sweetness of the Sabbath and return to the pressures of daily life.

The devil would have us lose the beauty and joy of keeping the Sabbath holy. If we are to experience the solemnity of the Sabbath, we must guard against losing the anticipation and joy that come with properly preparing for its holy arrival.

Lillian Torres is Pennyslvania Conference's associate Ministerial and Church Regeneration director.