Judy Fentress-Williams: “Free for a Purpose: Sabbath in Deuteronomy and African-American Communities” at Faith & Reason Sabbath School
(10:00 a.m. eastern / 9:00 a.m. central / 7:00 a.m. Pacific)
This Sabbath, Judy Fentress-Williams presents “Free for a Purpose: Sabbath in Deuteronomy and African-American Communities.”
The Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy have a slightly different presentation of the Sabbath commandment from the one in Exodus. How does this tradition provide a window into the world of ancient Israel as they move from an enslavement mentality to one of free people? Similarly, what might the history of African Americans moving from slavery to freedom in this country teach us about the "why" of Sabbath?
Homework Assignment: Read the two accounts of the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:8–11 and Deuteronomy 5:12–15.
Judy was prominently featured in the recent SABBATH documentary and participated in our Sabbath School panel during Sligo’s Sabbath Festival. Her comments on Sabbath as a beacon of freedom and liberation were so engaging and provocative we’ve invited her back. She is professor of Old Testament at the Virginia Theological Seminary and an associate pastor for teaching and preaching at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria.
Faith and Reason Sabbath School meets Sabbath, November 4, 10:00 am. Socializing starts at 9:30.
If you would like to attend this class via Zoom, email alexander@spectrummagazine.org to request the link.
Upcoming Sabbaths:
November 11 Reinder Bruinsma “What does it mean to be an (Adventist) Christian community?”
November 18 Manuela Yeagley
November 25 Ganoune Diop
