Shabbat Dinner & Vespers 05 FEB

Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact time, therefore, differs from week to week and from place to place, depending on the time of sunset at each location.

Shabbat recalls the biblical creation account in Genesis, describing God creating the heavens and the earth in six days, and resting on and sanctifying the seventh. Shabbat is considered a festive day, when a person is freed from the regular labors of everyday life, can contemplate the spiritual aspects of life, and can spend time with family. For this reason, many Jewish places of business shut down for these 24 hours. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten . . . on Shabbat-eve, at lunch, and as an end-of-Shabbat evening meal. The day is also noted for those activities which are prohibited on Shabbat prescribed by Rabbinic Judaism, but not all Jews follow these categories.

Meals begin with a blessing over two loaves of bread (lechem mishneh), usually a braided challah (only baked for Shabbat), which is symbolic of the double portion of manna God gave the Jewish people on Preparation Days during their time in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. It is customary to serve meat or fish, and sometimes both, for Shabbat eve dinner and Shabbat lunch. The third meal, eaten late Shabbat afternoon, is called Seudah Shlishit (literally, "third meal"). This is generally a light meal and may be dairy.

JUC has its own tradition to honor the Jewish Shabbat. Last Friday night everybody involved with the campus dressed up a little and gathered in the dining room which had been transformed into a beautiful place for the "family" to gather. All of the tables were covered with white linen cloths and each had fresh cut flowers lying on the table, two candles (to be lit by the "mother"), a braided challah, & communion cups. Dr. Wright led us in reciting traditional scriptural prayers for the men, women & children. The challah was passed and we had communion together. Then we went upstairs where Ronnie & Tamer had prepared a delicious chicken dinner.

After dinner, we all moved to the auditorium for praise & worship. Each week, someone will give a brief testimony or devotional which serves two purposes. It encourages the community, and gives us an opportunity to know one another a little better. Last Friday our cousins, Tim & Abby, told us a bit of each of their lives growing up in Christian families. Back and forth, they told us their individual testimonies of coming together when they met, fell in love, married and began their journey with the Lord . . . first with Samaritan's Purse in Indonesia, then on here to JUC for further study & training. It was a beautiful story of two people we would love even if they weren't family!!! We also got to celebrate Abby's birthday this past Wednesday!

Now it's Friday again and as the sun sets slowly in the west . . . in the MidEast . . . we'll gather for Shabbat dinner & vespers. Tomorrow, after early breakfast, we'll go with Dr. Wright and the Physical Settings class on a field study day trip to Mt. of Olives, Bethlehem & Herodian (built by guess who).

Shabbat shalom y'all