Shabbat, or the Sabbath, falls every week on what we generally call "Friday Evening" and "Saturday." It is a celebration of the old creation just as "Kyriaki," or the Lord's Day, on Saturday Evening and Sunday, is a celebration of the New Creation in Jesus Christ, Who said, "The Sabbath was made for Man, not Man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5). The Sabbath is a time when work ceases and mundane affairs become eclipsed by the joys of the heart. It is a time for the family to be together, celebrating with singing and benedictions, a time for children to receive the blessing of their parents, a time of ritual and spiritual contemplation. Many Orthodox Christians would benefit by emulating such Jewish devotion, setting aside time each week for themselves and/or their family within their own homes to rejoice together in the blessings of God and the joys of life in Christ. ( )

Starting Friday afternoon in the Jerusalem marketplace, author/illustrator Bernhard circles the globe through Argentina, Australia, Turkey, Russia, France, America, Ethiopia, Germany, Canada, Morocco, Thailand, and India to explore the different customs and rituals of the Sabbath. Havdalah is recited in a home near the Kotel, as the trip around the world is complete. Colorful ovals of activity accompany the descriptive narrative. ( )