Time to reconsider the sabbath (Part 2)

If, when it comes to thinking about the sabbath, we're looking for a list of ‘What can I/can’t I do on the Lord's day?’ we have already lost the battle. Our approach should be ‘How can I best make the Lord's Day serve the end for which the sabbath was created?’ This will mean that what we do on the Lord's Day may vary in different situations. There are no black and white rules about what we should do with the sabbath. ‘But the prohibition on work was black and white!’ you may protest, thinking this sounds rather woolly and liberal. Well, no - even the prohibition on work was not absolute – see for example passages like Luke 13:15 or 14:5.  Wrongly, we have been inclined to abbreviate the fourth commandment to ‘Do not work on a Sunday’ but actual command is ‘Remember the sabbath day by keeping it holy’ (Ex 20:8). The prohibition on work is merely a means to that end but we, as we tend to, have made a rule of it because keeping rules is much easier than obeying the spirit of the law.

So, what does God mean when he commands us to keep the sabbath ‘holy’? Although ‘holy’ includes the idea of ‘purity’, its primary meaning is ‘set apart’. God is commanding us to have one day that is different from other days, set apart from the distractions of work to think about and worship him individually, as a family and communally.  

Ok, so now that we've got that straight,  I can talk about how to get the most out of the Lord's day without fear of my suggestions being interpreted as rules to stick rigidly to. Here goes...

Prepare properly!

The Jewish Sabbath actually started at dusk on Friday and finished at dusk on a Saturday. I reckon the idea of including Saturday evening in the sabbath, as preparation time for the following day, has a lot going for it. With no work the following day, it can be tempting to stay up late on Saturday night but it doesn’t put us in the best frame of mind to worship God on a Sunday morning. Can’t concentrate in the sermon? Can’t get up in time for church? Go to bed earlier!

Observe it together

In Scripture, the sabbath is very much something that is kept communally. Keeping the sabbath cements a family together - especially these days when family members can become like ships that pass in the night. We also need to cherish the idea of keeping the sabbath together as a church community. A Jewish writer has said that as much as the Jews kept the sabbath, the sabbath has kept the Jews and I think that is very true. It is noticeable that Christian communities with a strong Sabbatarian tradition have, by and large, a greater cohesiveness and closeness than other churches. It always perplexes me when I see Christians who I know would not work on a Lord's day themselves encouraging their children to do homework on a Sunday. On the Lord’s day we are all learning together to keep the Lord’s commands and to observe his rhythm of work and rest. I know it’s not always easy, but do we only obey the Lord’s commands when they are easy to keep? In our family, we were taught that Sunday was not for homework and carried on that principle throughout school, university and postgraduate studies. On the face of it that seemed to put us at a disadvantage when everyone else was working all the hours in the week, but I can testify that God blessed us for honouring his commandment. A healthy balance between study and rest and going into the exam room on a Monday morning with a clear head after a restful day free from study enhanced our performance compared to friends who had been up cramming until the small hours. God knows what our brains need! It also taught me to trust in God and the wisdom of his commandments and not just on my own ability or effort.

The Bible does say, however, ‘six days shall you labour’. The flip side of not working on the Sabbath is that we work hard all the rest of the week! Christian students should be known for conscientiousness, being good stewards of the money their families / the state have invested in them - not for trying to get away with the least amount of work possible, being last-minute or spending the maximum time on pleasure like other students.

Think about how to use the Sabbath

The Lord's day shouldn’t merely be a day when we desist from doing things. In the Jewish tradition the sabbath is very much viewed as a day of joy. It’s a day to do things together as a family rather than as individuals, whether that be a nice walk, playing games or just having a good catch-up over a cup of tea. It’s a day to share the things of God, both in our church communities and our family groups. It’s not a day for sitting round with dour expressions, telling the children to desist from anything that might be remotely pleasurable, or giving them a grillling about what they remember of the sermon.

Don’t be legalistic, but think biblically about your own boundaries and stick to them

Whether you should do your regular paid work seems to be pretty clear in scripture – but should you watch TV? –use the computer? –cook? We are not given specific instructions about these things. The point is not ‘how much can I get away with?’, however, but what will help me to make the Sabbath a restful, family/ community orientated, God-centred space in my week? A friend of mine has decided that Sunday will be a technology-free day, so no computers, iPads or texting because these are generally a source of stress for him and because they destroy the communal focus of the day. Many Christians prefer not to watch TV because so much of what is on TV would distract from making Sunday a special time to be with God, but for elderly Christians living alone, watching a Sunday service on TV might be a real blessing. That’s why fixed rules aren’t helpful. I prefer not to go in shops or eat out on a Sunday because I don’t want employees in those places to be losing their day of rest. However, if the shop is open and I have some kind of emergency I have, on occasions, gone in. Cooking is a tricky one, because there is a great tradition of hospitality on Sundays in Christian homes but I do try as much as possible before hand, otherwise Sunday can become a very tiring and stressful day. 

Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinner is a tradition which has its roots in the Sabbath meal. At the Sabbath meal, the best crockery and linen would be used to emphasise that this was a special meal befitting God’s special day. One lovely tradition that Christian families could certainly replicate is that Jewish parents traditionally blessed their children on the Sabbath and would also sing hymns and songs. It was also a traditional time to invite strangers, something which continues in Christian homes today. Much pleasant food would be consumed throughout the Sabbath.

Involve others!

Sabbath was a traditional time for Jews to invite strangers. In the Western world we have become far too insular in our exclusive family units which only open up to others. In the Middle East guests call may arrive without warning for meals oreven to stay and Eastern women always keep food in to offer any unexpected guests. The idea of being ‘busy’ or ‘intruding on family time’ would be lost on a person from the Middle East. We need to rediscover that openness once more, and look out for those who have no family, who live alone, whose family are not Christians or who are a long way from home. There can be nothing more lonely as a Christian than eating Sunday dinner on your own.

I am still very much working on how to put this into practice in my life. May God bless you as you seek to foster the spirit of the fourth commandment in your lives, families and churches.