Long before David Letterman made the “Top Ten List” a staple of late-night television, God gave the first Top Ten – carved in stone tablets and carried down from the mountain by Moses.
Among the 10, number four – to keep the Sabbath – seems straightforward enough. It just means go to church and then take the rest of the day off and relax, right?
Actually, keeping the Sabbath is difficult in today’s world where activities compete for our time and tempt us away from church, and in a culture that says if you’re not busy, then you must be lazy. There’s also disagreement about the validity of keeping the Sabbath for modern Christians.
“Sabbath” comes from a Hebrew root that means “to rest, cease, desist, leave off.” For the early Israelites, the Sabbath was a day of worship and special sacrifices in the tabernacle and temple. The day memorialized the seventh day when God rested as told in the Genesis creation story, and it reminded the Israelites of their deliverance from slavery and of God’s special covenant with them. While the temple activities were important, for the average person the Sabbath was a day of rest at home.
In a time when work was physical and life was extremely hard, the Sabbath gave people physical, mental and spiritual rest. Modern Jews, like their ancestors, observe the Sabbath beginning at sunset on Friday and continuing until sunset on Saturday.
There are several explanations as to how Christians came to worship on Sunday, including memorializing the day of Christ’s resurrection. Many historians point to the Roman emperor Constantine, who legalized Christianity and proclaimed Sunday a holiday. Early Christians, who normally worked on Sunday but met for worship in the early morning or evening, took advantage of the emperor’s proclamation and turned Sunday into a Christian Sabbath.
Is the Sabbath “holy” in and of itself? Some people contend that because it was included among God’s moral commandments, it is holy and should be kept separate from all other days.
Some say the Sabbath was ordained a holy day in the creation story and we are to rest as God rested.
Others argue that while the Sabbath does commemorate God’s creation and reminds us of his omnipotence, it is no longer a holy day. They point to Jesus, who kept the Sabbath as a Jewish tradition but who said in Mark 2:27-28: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Furthermore, they explain that Christ brought a new covenant that frees us from the ancient laws. Rather than having one day a week to rest, we find complete and continuous rest through Christ. They point to Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Whether viewing the Sabbath as a true holy day or not, most faith groups agree that it is worthy and wise to stop working for one day a week and be with God in a meaningful way.
Is it possible to keep the Sabbath as it was kept in ancient times? Yes, and some people do, but it is extremely difficult in our culture. It means no working of any kind, including cooking; no traveling; no lighting of fires, which some interpret to include no use of stoves, heaters, internal combustion engines or even electricity.
Then how should we keep the Sabbath today? By participating in activities that focus our attention on God and the jewels of God’s creation – our family, friends and nature.
• Gathering in a community of believers – to worship God through hymns, prayer, Bible study, our offerings, communion and fellowship – is a most-worthy act of praise and thanksgiving.
• Joining family and friends for a meal and fellowship acknowledges God’s gift of special individuals who love us and support us.
• Spending time in nature – whether in some form of recreation or quietly tending a garden – unites us with the miracles of God’s creation.
• Taking a nap and spending time in quiet prayer or reflection rejuvenates our body, mind and spirit. It prepares us to return to work on Monday with attitudes and behaviors that honor God and bear witness to our faith.
While many people are required to work on Sunday, most still have at least one day a week off. Whatever day that is, it too can be set aside as a Sabbath. Because in the end, it’s not the day of the week that is important; it’s how you spend it.