Sunday, April 7, 2019
“Remember the sabbath day” is the fourth of the Ten Commandments found in the Hebrew Bible, Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God… for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
In Judaism the Sabbath day is Saturday; in Christianity it is marked on Sunday, to recognize the day of the week on which Jesus had risen from the dead and on which the Holy Spirit had come to the apostles.
Historically, and depending on what version of Christianity your forebears adhered to, ‘the Lord’s Day’ involved attending church, more than once! Morning Prayers, perhaps Holy Communion, afternoon church school and Evensong. Other than worship, and Sunday dinner, the day was simply a day of rest. (Well, except for the person making dinner!) In farming communities what chores needing to be done, were done, as dairy cows, for example, never take long weekends! But nowhere was there shopping, hockey tournaments, or, in fact, much in the way of ‘entertainment’.
Keeping this commandment requires attending church and although the excuses or alternate plans that people offer as rationale for missing are without number, and often very creative, there’s no wiggle room. It’s not just taking a day off. It’s about keeping it holy and embracing God-centred rest.
Aside: Soak 1 cup(or more) of navy beans in water overnight.