Thought for Today
Exodus 16:23 he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.'"
Deuteronomy 5:12 Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.
Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
Mark 2:27 Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath;
Right at the beginning, we need to define that the sabbath of the Bible is not the Sunday of our modern calendars. The sabbath of the Bible is the last day of the week of Creation. “Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” There is no single universal first day of the week: ISO 8601 defines Monday as the first day, while many countries (including the United States and Canada) use Sunday, and some Middle Eastern countries use Saturday.” (www.bing.com) F.W.I.W, the calendar on my computer starts each week on Sunday. My denominational planning calendar begins each week on Sunday.
The Greek word we translate as sabbath, σάββατον, means; “strictly ceasing from labor, rest; (1) both singular and plural used for the seventh day of the week (Saturday)” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon) Jesus would have worshipped on Saturday; Jesus would have gone to synagogue on Saturday. “Christians began gathering for worship on Sunday gradually from the second century, with formal recognition and widespread practice emerging in the fourth century . . . In the first century, the apostles and early Jewish Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath, meeting in synagogues and homes . . . There is no New Testament command transferring Sabbath observance to Sunday, and early gatherings were primarily for teaching, prayer, and fellowship” (www.bing.com)
All of that having been said, Sunday is my favorite day of the week. The only day that comes close to challenging Sunday would be the Mondays we have our Bible Study. Maybe surprisingly, it is not because on those days I have a semi-captive audience to hear my pontifications. (That is merely a perquisite) What makes both times so special for me and for Greta is that those are times we regularly spend with our family of faith. The idea has been on my mind since our Bible Study met last night to discuss the topic “What is the church?”
The environment for Bible Study is different from that of Sunday worship. Our Bible Study meets on Zoom and is an open-forum discussion. Last night we enjoyed a spirited discussion of our various understandings of what constitutes church, what defines church and how we go about ‘doing’ church. Is the church the building? Is the church the congregation? Is the church its mission in the wider world? At the end of our hour, it seemed to me that the general consensus was , “Yes to all.”
We also discussed our understandings of the church versus the Church and the role various faith traditions and denominations play in being and in doing church. I truly relish the open and free-flowing sharing of ideas we share during our Bible Study.
During Sunday worship, we have a more fixed and regular structure to our service. The participants include everyone who participates in the Bible Study plus others. Other elements of worship are incorporated: responsive readings, hymns and sacred music, the Lord’s Prayer and our prayers of compassion and joy . . . and, we always have a time for tithes and offerings.
Formal worship is my favorite. Bible Study is my favorite. Coffee Hour is my favorite. Our last-Sunday-of-the-month table fellowship following worship is my favorite. Our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent loving God has blessed Greta and me with so many favorites, and thankfully, we are not tasked to choose between them. Each can be our favorite. YES TO ALL!!
As I think about it all, I remember Jesus’ words, “Matthew 11:29 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.”
Think about your own favorites, find the promised rest for your soul, trust God,
Pastor Ray