Sabbath

I remember years ago when Sabbath observance was a big deal in our churches. Pastors and professors and elders were passionately concerned with what is and is not permitted on Sunday. Conferences were held frequently, editorials were written, and there were even some church splits.

Is it good or bad that those days are long behind us?

This morning, reading along in Exodus 23, I came to verse 12: “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.”

On the seventh day do no work. What does that mean?

Grandpa would say, “If you don’t want to work, you shouldn’t make anyone else work either.” He would say that to honor this command, we should stay away from anyplace where people are paid to serve us. That makes sense in the context of this verse; it’s kind of the modern equivalent of letting slaves and beast of burden rest too.

One of my college profs explained that the purpose of Sabbath rest is to refresh our souls. He said that we avoid work because work takes our minds away from God. He recommended that the day be devoted to worship, contemplation, and conversation that centered us once again on God.

All that was a long time ago, though. Lately the only conversations about Sunday I get involved in relate to the second service. It seems like we don’t question what is or isn’t appropriate to do on Sunday anymore.

Is that good? For most of my work colleagues, once they get past Sunday dinner, in the words of one of them, “It’s another half Saturday.” I don’t think his perspective is at all unusual. Pretty much everyone I know golfs and swims and hunts and shops and travels and eats out. Is that OK? Is this nagging guilt I feel just because it’s different than it used to be?

It’s likely that Grandpa’s views were more restrictive than they had to be. It also seems likely that current practice may be out of whack. Most of the people I work with are dragging on Monday; they come back to work to rest up. Is that the outcome of a well-observed Sabbath?

Since I don’t know, and I don’t want to stir the pot with my friends, I’m going to talk it over with someone I know will accept my weakness without diminishing my worth, someone who won’t be offended no matter what I say about it. I’m going to pray. I’ve found it’s the best way to work through confusing obedience issues.