Miao Sabbath Observing Christians

Some of the readers of this blog may know that I am a Sabbath observer, so it was with eagerness that I looked forward to meet other Sabbath-keepers, in an unlikely place as China. My trip took me to some Miao villages, up in the mountains of South-Western China. The descriptions on this blog about my trip, the exact places I visited, and the people I met with are kept deliberately brief. Here are some photos of two little churches in the mountains that I visited and some Sabbath observing Christians I encountered there.

How Do You De-Stress?

Source

Last week some of us at the martial art gym where I train in Seoul went to a cafe after training. Some of them ordered beers to drink. I got a chocolate milk. Then one of the (grappling) students asked me "how do I de-stress" if I do not drink alcohol. He is not the first Korean to ask me this. I've been asked this question before by other Koreans too. Clearly, in the Korean mindset drinking alcohol is a way to relax and de-stress.

It is always difficult to answer them. I seldom think of doing something in particular to lesson my levels of stress. I keep Sabbath, but apart from that, I cannot think of something that I regularly employ to de-stress. Maybe Sabbath is enough not to require any other forms of de-stressing. Actually, going to martial art training is probably a method of getting rid of stress in itself. It might also be a case that I do not need a depressant like alcohol to calm me down, because I do not use stimulants (e.g. coffee) to ref me up.

So how do you de-stress?

Happy Sabbath

Luke 14:5: "[Jesus] answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?"

May you have a blessed Sabbath, with no incidents of asses, oxen or other properties, physical or otherwise, fallen into any literal or figurative pits. Happy Sabbath!

Happy Sabbath

A nice original little gospel song by LadySaane (see her YouTube-channel).




Happy Sabbath!

Sabbath

(Image Source Unknown)

I keep the Sabbath. Yes, with the Sabbath I mean the same thing that orthodox Jews mean – that period from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset. While I am partially of Jewish descent (on my father’s side), my reason for keeping the Sabbath is not cultural (even though there are many Sabbath-keepers in my family).

I keep the Sabbath because I came to believe in the Creator – the Source; the belief that some unfathomably magnificent entity is the Original Source, the First Mover, for all of creation. The only real religious practise that links directly with the Creator is the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a symbol for God’s creative (i.e. Creator) power. Unlike orthodox Jews, my Sabbath observance is much freer. While there are many things I tend to avoid doing on the Sabbath, these are all a choice – not something I believe will anger God if I do or don’t do on the Sabbath. Jesus explained: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

So what don’t I do on the Sabbath. Well, for one, I usually do not do my usual work on the Sabbath and I also avoid doing martial arts on the Sabbath. Many people have told me that since the martial arts is a hobby and a recreation, it seems appropriate to do on the Sabbath. I agree. However, the martial arts is a very big part of my life—a passion really. For this reason I need to put some boundaries in place in order to ensure that it does not become more important than it ought to; that it does not become an idol. Even innocent things can become bad if done in excess. Especially martial art tournaments are something I avoid on the Sabbath. A big part of Sabbath is to keep your mind focussed on spiritual things—on God. With tournaments it is almost impossible to keep focussed on the Spiritual. Tournaments are all about the self; about winning over an opponent. Such a competitive spirit is far removed from the peaceful Sabbath Spirit a Sabbath-keeper pursues.

So what do I do on the Sabbath? Well, for one, I relax. God invites us to relax on the Sabbath and I take it as a Heavenly ordained weekly “vacation.” Especially if I had a long week, or if I have coming deadlines, the Sabbath forces me to relax, to wind down, to recuperate. I would setup my environment for Sabbath differently than other days of the week. On Sabbath evenings (Friday nights) I especially like to dim the lights and may even burn some candles to create a relaxing ambiance. I would also avoid very rhythmic music, and instead listen to calmer music than what I may listen to during the rest of the week. If I’m close to a Sabbath keeping community I would attend church; otherwise I listen to or read spiritual material. I also enjoy spending social time visiting with loved ones and friends in relaxed settings. I may also use the relaxed hours of the Sabbath to do some letter writing to my loved ones. Sometimes the calmness of the Sabbath inspires me to write verses of beauty or draw something. I would give in to such inspiration, but keep in mind that these creative fervours stay moments of relaxation, not of productive exertions. And seeing as the Sabbath is a symbol for the Creator’s creative power, I sometimes enjoy being in God’s creation on the Sabbath; walking outside in nature and enjoying creation’s beauty. Or I’d just watch some programs on nature on my computer. The website Earth-Touch.Com provides beautiful nature footage which I enjoy watching. I may even watch a documentary about issues related to spiritual matters. Whenever I take an afternoon nap during the week I would feel guilty, but not so on the Sabbath. Taking a Sabbath afternoon nap is one of my great indulgences.

Sabbath is an inseparable part of my life. I sometimes wonder how other people get by in life without this once in a week “break from it all”; without this weekly blessing.

Happy Sabbath!

Sjoe! Wat 'n week!

Goeie genugtig. Ek kom nou net by die huis van my kantoor af. Dis byna 'n halfuur na middernag. Die derde jaar studente van ons departement, die divisie van Engelse studies, het vanaand 'n verhoog opvoering gelewer -- "The Wizard of Oz." Ek moes die openingsgebed lewer. Dit het om sewe begin. Na die vertoning is ek terug na my kantoor, dit was seker so teen half tien, om verder vir more se klasse voor te berei. Op 'n Vrydagoggend om nege uur gee ek "Research Methodology." Hiervoor moet ek notas voorberei. Ek het darem daarmee klaar gekry, maar moet nog die fotostate maak vir byna 90 studente. Ek dink ek gaan more oggend se fakulteitsvergadering moet misloop om die fotostate betyds te kan maak. (My assistent wat gewoonlik help met fotostate maak was een van die hoofkarakters -- die lafhartige leeu -- in die toneelstuk, en kon my geen hulp bied hierdie week nie. Sy kom ook nie more in nie.) Ek is gretig dat hierdie semester tot 'n einde moet, veral omrede hierdie "Research Methodology"-klas. Dit is uitputtend en onnodige baie werk vir 'n een krediet klas. Gelukkig is dit die laaste jaar wat hierdie klas aangebied word. Vanaf volgende jaar gaan ons die vaardighede wat die studente in hierdie klas moet leer in ander vakke integreer.

Ek was veronderstel om nog 'n woordeskat toets vir die "Vocabulary & Collocations"-klas te maak, maar as ek langer gaan wakker bly gaan ek 'n zombie wees. My studente sal maar net more die klastoets moet vryspring. Ek hoop dis vir hulle goeie nuus. (Ek is seker dit sal goeie nuus vir die lui studente wees, maar is nie so seker oor die flukse studente wat die moeite gedoen het om voor te berei vir die toets nie.)

Buiten die twee klasse is daar twee ander klasse wat ek ook nog more aanbied, "British & American Essays" en "Shakespear Films." Gelukkig het ek vanmiddag reeds kans gehad om vir hierdie klasse voor te berei.

Maar dis nie al nie, more is daar ook nog administrasie wat gedoen moet word rakende twee vakke wat ek en 'n ander dosent gaan ruil. Ek gee twee skryfvaardigheidsklasse volgende semester en die ander student geen twee uitspraakklasse ("pronunciation"). Ek sal verkies om nie twee skryfklasse aan te bied nie omdat dit soveel merkwerk vereis, en die ander dosent wil nie graag twee spraakklasse gee nie, so nou probeer ons om een van ons klasse te ruil.

Maar wag, my dag more is nie verby eens ek klaar is met al die klasse om drie uur nie. Ek het more middag ook 'n Hapkido toets om vyfuur.

Ek kan nie wag vir more aand om sewe uur wanneer al my verpligtinge en die week se gejaag op 'n einde is nie, en ek die Sabbat kan binne gaan en rus nie.