What does EGW write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "Potluck on the Sabbath"
Answer
Hospitality on the Sabbath should be regarded as a privilege and a blessing, with a simple, informal setting preferred over an elaborate feast. All necessary preparations for the food must be made in advance, since cooking on the Sabbath should be avoided; however, reheating simple dishes is permissible. Care should be taken to keep meals modest, so that the spirit remains clear for spiritual matters and to avoid overeating and unnecessary work.
True Hospitality Instead of Elaborate Splendor
These admonitions have strangely been neglected. Even among those who call themselves Christians, true hospitality is seldom practiced. Among our own people, the opportunity to show hospitality is not valued as it should be—as a privilege and a blessing. Overall there is too little sociability, too little inclination to make room at the family table for two or three additional persons without embarrassment or fuss. Some claim it takes “too much effort.” It would not be so if one said, “We have made no special preparations, but you are welcome with what we have.” An unexpected guest appreciates a welcome far more than the most elaborate preparation.
Avoiding Unnecessary Work and Excess
Unnecessary worries and burdens arise from the desire to impress visitors with the hospitality. To prepare a great variety for the table, the housewife overworks herself; because of the many dishes prepared, the guests overeat; illness and suffering from overwork on one hand and overeating on the other are the result. These elaborate feast meals are a burden and a harm.
Preparation and Reheating of Food
While cooking on the Sabbath should be avoided, it is not necessary to eat cold foods. In cold weather, let the foods prepared the day before be warmed. And let the meals, although simple, be tasty and attractive. Offer something that is regarded as a special delight, something the family does not have every day.
Moderation for Spiritual Clarity
Taking on the Sabbath the same amount of food that is eaten on a workday is completely inappropriate. The Sabbath is the day set apart for worship of God, and on it we must be especially careful regarding our nutrition. A clogged stomach means a clogged brain. Too often on the Sabbath such a large amount of food is eaten that the spirit becomes dull and stupid, unable to appreciate spiritual matters.
Simple Food Instead of Cooking Stress
It is a denial of Christ to make preparations for visitors that require time that rightfully belongs to the Lord. In doing so we commit robbery against God. And we also do injustice to others. In preparing an elaborate hospitality, many deprive their own families of the necessary attention, and their example leads others to follow the same course.
- Sabbath Food Preparation
- Christian Hospitality Sabbath
- Nutrition on the Day of Rest Ellen White
Original Sources (English)
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