Reform Mormonism is practiced in the home, and Sabbath rituals may differ slightly for each family or household based on their needs. A significant aspect of this weekly ritual is to honor the Sabbath as “a day of rest,” so actually resting from the demands of daily life is encouraged. While Sunday is traditionally observed as the Sabbath, a family’s schedule might make a weekday more appropriate as a day of rest. While Sabbath rituals mention the family, for Reform Mormons who live alone, these rituals can be performed by a family of one.
The Purpose of the Sabbath
There are two main reasons Reform Mormons observe the Sabbath: Tradition and the Sanctification of Time for Rest and Enrichment.
The Sabbath as a Jewish and Christian ritual is well understood. The Reform Mormon Sabbath rituals honor these traditions while creating a new one. The tradition is formed in the home, the center of Reform Mormon religious activity. The traditions of Sabbath observance can offer enrichment in and of themselves. The tradition can become something that the family expects and builds upon.
The second reason – Sanctification of Time – may be strange to those who are used to a Sabbath filled with Church activities and events. The sanctification of time is one way to reconnect to that part of ourselves that is eternal, and it can succeed only when the atmosphere for such a connection can be created. Much of the Reform Mormon Sabbath attempts to create this atmosphere and setting.
The main thing to remember is that the Sabbath does not exist unless you define it, and you can define it in any number of ways to make it personally meaningful. When you define it, you are engaging in an act of creation: you are creating sanctified time, differentiating it from normal time. You are organizing something new for your own purpose. In performing this creation, you need not create something that will not work for you, such as a Sabbath that is defined by others. The Sabbath defined by others is likely the Sabbath you’ve found to be uninspiring and untenable. The Sabbath that you will create for yourself and your family will be something that specifically works well for them. The Reform Mormon ritual of the Sabbath merely assists you in performing this creation.
Beginning the Sabbath
Lighting the Sabbath Candles
The Sabbath begins with the lighting of four candles, which are left burning throughout the day. Anyone in the home can perform this ritual; the entire household doesn’t need to be present for it. Each candle has a symbolic meaning, and the following is spoken or thought as each candle is lit:
(As the first candle is lit)
FAITH: We remember the faith of those who sacrificed before us.
(As the second candle is lit)
KNOWLEDGE: We contemplate the mystery of God’s and our creative acts.
(As the third candle is lit)
REVELATION: We seek communion with God and ourselves this day.
(As the fourth candle is lit)
RESTORATION: All truth becomes circumscribed into one great whole, and we rest
When the candles are observed throughout the day, it reminds us that we are currently in sanctified time and that today is different from other days.
The Meal
The Sacrament
The main event of the family Sabbath is the ordinance of the Sacrament. This ordinance is conducted at the beginning of the meal, which would be the main meal of the Sabbath day. Typically, all household members participate in the Sabbath meal and the Sacrament.
The Reform Mormon Sacrament honors the tradition of the Lord’s Supper and, as an ordinance, is a time for us to re-evaluate our personal commitment to Eternal Progression by remembering God’s progression and celebrating the gift of life. Anyone at the Sabbath table can bless the Sacrament.
The Blessing & Sharing of the Bread
Once the food has been prepared and all family members are seated at the table, the Officiator waits for quiet, then takes the bread, breaks it, pauses for a moment of silent meditation, and then says the following:
(Addresses God)
“We ask Thee to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of Thee, and of the covenant to emulate Thee. Amen.”
The bread is passed among all at the table, and all partake.
Reform Mormons have a variety of ways to address God in prayers and ordinances. The particular method chosen is at the discretion of the Officiator. Three of the most common are:
“O God, the Eternal Father,”
“O God, the Eternal Mother,”
“O God, our Eternal Parents”
The Blessing & Sharing of the Wine
The Officiator pours wine into a glass, pauses, and speaks:
(Addresses God)
“We ask Thee to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it; that they may drink in remembrance of Thee and always have Thy Spirit to be with them. Amen.”
Once all have partaken of the wine, the Sacrament is ended, and the meal progresses.
Sabbath Activity
Sometimes, the Sabbath is a more active day for the family, but activity for activity’s sake is not encouraged. Activities on the Sabbath are chosen based on their ability to foster internal contemplation, communion, and progression. In a family setting, the chosen activity needs to integrate well with the family’s various needs. Some of these activities might include:
- Personal study time or solitude
- Exposure to new art or individual pursuit of art
- Communing with nature
- Visiting the worship service of a different religion
- Celebrating a family member’s birthday, an anniversary, or an achievement or a milestone in a loved one’s life
Each family should schedule their own events for the Sabbath in harmony with their schedule and needs.
We need not honor this time with stress and ridiculous work, but the Sabbath is not honored by everyone sitting around quietly all day doing nothing. Enforcing dogma or imposing strict rules will do little to enhance the day or make use of sanctified time. Instead, choose activities that indicate something different, something special is happening today. What is happening should be exciting, fun, and special – something to look forward to. We are not talking about a dull, somber Sabbath.
To shake up your thinking a bit, consider how you might honor the Sabbath in the following situations:
- Spending the day in an amusement park: Perhaps the Sabbath is supposed to be fun – and perhaps such a place offers a stark contrast to how you and your family usually spend time. It’s what you bring to the day that makes the day special, not the day itself.
- At work: Usually, you would select a Sabbath that does not involve work, but sometimes this isn’t practical. If you had to work that day, how can you observe the Sabbath? How can a day of work be sanctified?
- Traveling: Airports and terminals, extended time in a car— these hardly seem great places to observe the Sabbath…or, perhaps, they are great places to do it! Why? How?
Remember that the Sabbath is a created thing. You have limitless options when you begin the act of creation. The sanctification of time is what the Sabbath is about, not conforming to another religion’s perception of the Sabbath. Create the Sabbath so that you and your family will enjoy it, and it will become a cherished tradition.
You can begin honoring the Sabbath now. You do not need permission or any formal process to start. Just select the day and begin. You will find your way and experience great things as you do.
Concluding the Sabbath
The Sabbath concludes with the extinguishing of the candles. The following is either spoken or thought as the candles are extinguished:
“Our rest is over; our sanctified time ends; we are restored; we begin again.”
As the Spirit dictates, the person extinguishing the candles may also give thanks or blessings for the new week.