Conference yukon::christian_v7

Do you set time aside during each day for worshipping God?
Do you set time aside each week for corporate worship of God?

If one doesn't know what worshipping the LORD means, why bother with 
the lesser questions about form and function?  Form and function only
have meaning when centered on something (Someone) meaningful.

Focus on the person of God and all of the answers to the questions in .0
[will] become apparent [in time].

MM

Thanks Erich,

By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing.  So on the
seventh day, He rested from all His work.  And God blessed the seventh day
and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating
that He had done. 

						Genesis 2:2-3 [NIV]

Exodus 20:8-11 expands on this, making it clear that the holiness of the 
day reserves it for worship ('a Sabbath to the LORD your God').

The question of 'which' day we reserve as our Sabbath is outside the scope
of this topic - so this para is just a request that if anyone is concerned
to address that issue, it should be in another note! 

Ideally, on my 'seventh', I like to spend time in gathering collectively
for worship, and in an individual, family and inter-family times before the
LORD.  This can include the casual tasks of the day, but not earning or
employing where this can be avoided.  ie, washing dishes / drying up can be
used as a time of fellowship, but I woudn't go shopping or digging the 
garden on this day if this could be avoided.

This inevitably includes certain 'normal' activities - eating our meals, 
certain church administraion tasks, etc, which can be interpreted as 
'work' - especially the cooking aspect.  I've tried various approaches to 
this, but not one which is universally acceptable [ my cuisine isn't 
suitable. ].  I keep looking....

I believe that the force of the observance is towards a day of peace, in
which the LORD is specially involved.  ie I would not want to commit myself
to an activity which demands a concentration on physical or mental skill, or
undue competitiveness.  I want to make it a time when the LORD can speak to 
me, as much as when I speak to the LORD.

The question as to whether we should encourage society to observe this goes 
back to who the principle was given to.  I understand it as being blessed 
to all mankind, in Genesis 2.  Now I also believe that mankind needs this 
physiologically and psychologically, in order to be whole and healthy, but 
the Divine command comes first.

Just my first-off input!
								Andrew

    Is Sunday special, well I was taught that it was.  That was in a time
    when there were "BLUE LAWS", and the pace of society wasn't as fast. 
    This of course has nothing to do with how I spend the day, since that
    is a conscious decision.  I our home we attend morning and evening
    worship services, as well as Sunday School, and try and discuss what
    the kids learned that day over Sunday Dinner.
    
    The Sabbath was first given to the Hebrews, and was a Saturday as we
    know it.  God knew that rest was as much a part of life as work is,
    they are both important.  It also fits into the overall 7 day, 7 year,
    etc, plan with which God does things.
    
    I'm afraid that I probably don't spend my Sunday as I should, so you've
    raised a good point.  We should take time to reflect on God's goodness.
    .1 also raises yet another set of good points, daily worship.  If all
    we do is set one day, one hour aside, then there is a problem.
    
    My wife, as a child, lived in dread of Sunday's.  All the kids had to
    lay quietly on their parents bed, with their fathers belt at the end as
    a reminder.  Get up, make noise, get a spanking.  His generation held
    Sunday very strict.  But that strictness didn't yield worship, it did
    yield bitterness.  Even when my wife talks to my daughter, you can
    here, "Well, when I was your age ..."   He is a very gracious man
    though and I can see that his intentions were good.  He did have 6 kids
    though, and the belt was probably the easiest way to get control quick.
    
    I guess we could spend Sundays better.  Although after a morning of
    teaching Sunday School, participating in corporate worship, getting the
    kids ready, traveling back and forth, we get kinda tired.  Guess that's
    why God invented naps, (I don't mean to be sacreligious, please don't
    be offended !!), and in one sense, maybe that's what He's leading
    us towards anyway ??  A relaxing of sorts.  Just as the Hebrews let the
    ground lay dormant every 7 years, we need to take some extra time and relax
    and reflect on Him every 7 days.                             
    

      Hi,
    
        Well, Andy, I'll interpret the meaning of this topic by 
        answering its title, "Is Sunday Important?"
    
        Yeah, Sunday is extremely important.  All of our time is
        for service to God.  May we be careful and prayerful with
        how we spend virtually all of our time.
    
        Just to offer a different understanding, but with the advance
        notice that I am simply offering a view and will not 'debate'
        this here...
    
        Sunday is just like Monday through Friday...days of work.  God
        sanctified and made holy the seventh day and He rested on it 
        after His work of creation was finished and after His work as
        sacrifice was finished.  He never once rescinded His sanctification
        of the seventh day nor did He ever sanctify days 1 thru 6.
    
        The seventh day Sabbath is a sign between God and man that the
        work of redemption is His work, not ours.  It is a sign that the
        work of sanctification is His work, not ours.  It is a sign that
        when God finishes His work, it is complete, perfect.  And before
        Christ comes, His bride will have been prepared by Christ as the
        exhortation in Hebrews puts it, "Let us go on unto perfection" and
        "Let us go on to enter that rest" [speaking of that perfect rest
        in Christ].
    
        So anyway, while many of you rest on Sunday, I rest from sundown
        Friday to sundown Saturday NOT because I believe it is "my"
        seventh day, but rather because I believe it is "God's" seventh 
        day and I want to have all ten of His commandments perfectly
        written in My heart.
    
        This is all a matter of personal conviction.  I also believe that
        we are called to rest from work during this time and to enjoy
        special 'focus' on God that couldn't be enjoyed with the same focus
        if one is working his eight hour job or whatever.
    
        As far as legislating Sunday laws...well...I suspect this will
        begin to be a fought-over issue.  I am against such legislation as
        well as against legislation calling for civil laws against working
        on the seventh day Sabbath.  "Render unto God that which is God's,
        render unto Caeser that which is Caeser's."  To the extent that the
        state legislates based on religious principle with the churches 
        backing is the extent to which the state and church are married.
        But, we are not of the world.
    
                                                       Tony
                                                               

    Sunday is special of course for must of us worship corporately on this
    day.  And if worship is not special, what is!?
    
    I have a house with a yard and a desire to garden.  This takes a
    tremendous amount of my time and naturally Saturday and Sunday are when
    I have "free" time.  I used to work on Sunday in the yard simply out of
    necessity.  Recently I decided that I generally will not work on Sunday
    but have set aside that day for being with my family and doing family
    things, even if its sitting on the porch admiring the beauty of God's
    creation.  So now I force myself after working to do work at the house
    during the week and on Saturday.  This is best.
    
    jeff

 Since I returned to Christ several months ago, I've come to look at Sundays
 a little differently.  Even before when I was a practicing Christian, I never
 quite looked at Sunday much differently than any other day, with the exception
 of going to church and a monthly board meeting when I was on the board.

 But now, Sundays are different.  I look forward to Sunday, especially after
 a frantic work week, and try to cram a lot of stuff into Saturday so I can
 spend Sunday in worship and service.  The few hours between the morning worship
 service and evening worship may be spent reflecting on what was learned in
 Sunday School and the service or in prayer for those who were mentioned or
 with whom I may have talked earlier in the day.  Yesterday in between services
 I took my 2 younger kids (who had joined me in church!) to play miniature golf
 and talk about what had taken place (with not so good results unfortunately).
 And now we have a study on Revelation taking place on Sunday afternoons.

 After evening service I top off the day by watching Charles Stanley's message
 on the Family Channel.



 Jim

    I attend Mass on Sunday morning.
    
    Once a month we have our Franciscan Order meeting in the afternoon.
    
    For a long time I have avoided shopping on Sunday except for a few 
    trips for milk, etc. 
    
    My flower garden is a relaxation, as is cooking, since I don't have the
    time for these during the week so I don't avoid these tasks. However I
    avoid housecleaning and paying bills or other financial stuff on that 
    day. 
    
    I try to avoid having others work on Sundays also by mainly being at 
    home, but if I'm traveling then I do use the facilities that are
    required. 
    
    I try to spend the time at home in extra prayer and reading the Bible
    and other books; I put on Christian music and limit television. Some-
    times I visit friends and it is also a day that I write letters. 
    
    I have, in the past refused to work on Sundays in this line of
    business; I think if I was a nurse it would be different because that
    is a human-care field, but I would still require that I had the
    necessary time off to worship with my community each week.
    
    These voluntary 'limitations' have become LIBERATIONS to me and I can
    see some of the blessings the Lord intends in the commandment to keep
    holy the Lord's day.
    
    Peace,
    
    Mary
    

The Sabbath is a time of rest and refreshment and is the most special day of
the week. I look forward to the Sabbath every week. This is something that I
need. In Mk 2:27 it says that the Sabbath was made for man. It was made in
the beginning for man's benefit. Christ knew that we would try to work
ourselves to death and that we would probably forget about him and his plan
if we didn't have a regular reminder of why we are here. So I have the
Sabbath to help me to ask the questions, "Why am I here?, What is the purpose
of life? Who created me?, What is God's purpose for mankind?" It is also a
time for me to give thanks for my existence and to learn more about the 
creator, his plan, and to fellowship with those who have the same hope that 
I do.

The weekly Sabbath is also a feast day. Personally, I reserve something
special to have on the Sabbath that I would not normally have on any other 
day of the week. Perhaps a special meal or a trip for an ice cream cone...

I attend services to learn more about the creator -- to carefully observe 
Christ's example.

It is also an opportunity to share: my prayers for others' benefit,
or my time. Perhaps by visiting those who are shut-ins, or that are 
emotionally in need of support. The Sabbath should be made special for the
children as well. They have just as much need of refreshment as you do.

I have found the Sabbath to truly be a time of refreshment, please don't
take this as an inflammatory remark, save this for another topic, but I don't
do any of this on Sunday.

So yes, the Sabbath is a special day. Good question!
                                                                          

    Sunday is special to me because it belongs to the subset (weekend)
    
    I don't think that Sunday (or any other day) should be legislated
    as a day of rest. Its like bad a TV show ....if you don't like it
    don't watch it.
    
    Lastly I have a question...If you truely believe that Sunday or
    Saturday is the Sabbath then how do you avoid working ?
    I am with Customer Services and weekend work and being on call is a 
    normal part of my job. This work is a job requirement which if refused
    would lead to termination.
    
    Do you select your job so that you don't have to work on your Sabbath ? 
    
    Brian V