Why Saturdays?
The Sabbath … a time for worship, prayer, fellowship, service, rest, and renewal…made for us by God!
Why Saturdays? Embracing the teaching of the ten commandments, Seventh-day Adventists recognize Saturday, the seventh day, as the Sabbath. This practice is derived specifically from the 4th commandment found in Exodus 20:8-11, which calls for us to work the first six days of the week and to rest on the seventh. In celebrating the Sabbath we aspire to follow Jesus’ own example in this practice, observing Friday night sundown to sunset on Saturday night as a period of rest and worship.
The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27), to be a blessing to him by calling his mind from secular labor to contemplate the goodness and glory of God. God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it—set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and His love.
Seventh-day Adventists observe the Sabbath in a variety of ways. The Sabbath is valued as a day of rest, where we refrain from work and the distractions of media and commerce. Attending Saturday morning Bible studies (Sabbath School) and worship services allow our minds to be refreshed, enlivened and elevated. There is something for children, adults and seniors and our worship services are accessible to everyone. But, we do not confine all the Sabbath hours within walls. Spending quality time with family and friends and taking in the beauty of nature, bringing us into communion with the Creator, are also favorite ways of enjoying the Sabbath day. We may also host talks with guest speakers and seminars on health, wellness, and spiritual growth. The Sabbath also affords us another opportunity to minister to the needs of others through direct service to them – feeding the homeless, visiting the sick in nursing homes, etc. Most importantly, Sabbath offers us the opportunity for activities that enable spiritual renewal and foster continual growth in our relationship with God and or brothers and sisters in humanity.
We invite you to visit us and be our guest (bring a friend!) and we look forward to worshipping our Lord on his holy seventh-day Sabbath with you!