( AGAIN, this is not a judgment, criticism, etc. It's me thinking, observing, and coming to my own conclusion about society at large; not a conclusion about one individual person. In other words, I'm not writing this out of indignation or anger. Also, if suggestions are given, I include myself in those who should listen to them). I recently heard that many Christian churches offer services on days other than Sunday, and the most prevalent day of the week offered as an alternative happens to be Saturday. ...Thoughts abounded. In this post, I will endeavor to put them down.
First thought. I'm not a big history buff. It interests me, yes, but the way school textbooks write it down and make you study it does not do anything for me. I prefer documentaries, interviews, first-hand accounts, etc. However, I do know enough to know that the Sabbath was changed at some time or other (I'm really not good with dates) from Saturday to Sunday by some government/church, and made official on the calender. Sunday became the 7'th day. Jews and Muslims, of course, held to what they believed, but it was another way to get them to resemble the society around them. Now days, the calender has been put to rights and everyone can go on their day.
Second thought. Their day. A lot of churches see that people have days that just don't work to come to church, so they make sure they offer a day that fits the schedule of some in their congregation in order to keep them in the congregation. 'Your what-used-to-be-thought-of-as-a-consecrated-sabbath-day too full to come worship and study the Scriptures? Well, then, how about another day?'
Going on. I know people that think having a sabbath, a day of rest, in the week is so important... they make it a Wednesday. That's their sabbath. I also know people that keep the Sabbath on Saturday but go to church on Sunday. I know people that keep the Sabbath on Saturday, but don't go to services when they have something else going on. 'Your party some distant relative invited you to is more important than fellow-shipping with others of the same belief? Well... at least you aren't going to church the next day.' I know people that go to services on Saturday, keep that as their Sabbath, and work, watch whatever on tv, and listen to whatever on the radio. Consecrated? Hmm....
The point, the conclusion: We build and shift and shape and schedule our own day, our own sabbath, to fit what we can do, what we want to do. We change something that was set in TIME, as a continual regulation for all generations. We pick and choose and throw away until it works for us. It is MY day of rest after all. Shouldn't it cater to what I want? Ex. 20:8: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." That is one of the Ten Commandments. Remember. Remind yourself that WE keep it holy; if we do whatever we want to on it, is it a holy day? Is it any different? Is it set apart? If we pick any day in the week, does that day keep a special significance to us? Does it mean anything?
I'm not saying 'do it my way'. I'm not saying that I even claim to know the best way. But, I am saying that we should think about what we do, how we prioritize, etc. It's one day in the week... One day, we get to draw even closer to our Maker, to feel even more peace and give even more joy. Why do we have to change that?
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