The Lord's day

Today in Sunday School there was some good conversation about "keeping the Sabbath" and the Lord's day... did you know that Sunday isn't actually the Sabbath? The Sabbath, in Jewish culture, is Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown, making Saturday the Sabbath. Back in the time of Jesus (and I'm betting some small number still today) those who truly kept the Sabbath holy did no work of any kind from Friday pm to Saturday pm. And we were told today that THEN, after they'd rested Saturday then they went back to work on Sunday as the first day of the work week, then after their work was done, Sunday evening met for a time of worship and remembering of Christ's death on the cross and Resurrection from the grave. We are busy. We are a busy people with many places to go and much to do. We don't think there is time to "keep the Sabbath." But here's what the Bible says in Exodus 20: ⁸ “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Can we even imagine that? On Saturday, to do no work. No laundry. No yard work. No house cleaning. No food preparing. ... In today's day and age, we can't even try to process this. It is a good thing that we live under God's grace. (Something else greatly talked about in the message from today's sermon) Without God's grace and mercy we'd all fall short.... And while we can't possibly do all that Ex 20: 8-11 says to do about the Sabbath. What we can do is make sure that we are honoring God. That if we have laundry to fold or the yard to be mowed, we're doing it with a clean heart and with a cheerful spirit. That we aren't grumbling or complaining. That we are living our daily tasks with God on our mind and not the world. As we go to the ball games and the concerts and the festivals and the backyard, that what we ARE doing, whatever it is, is pleasing to the Lord.

Personally I don't even like the idea of laundry or chores on Sunday. I don't think I really knew before today that the Sabbath wasn't Sunday but Saturday but even still and now knowing that... There is something about working or doing chores or even having a ball game on Sunday that has never sat right with me. I do it if it needs be done, but something about it has always made me feel funny. Sunday is the day we choose to go to church and worship as a family and take time to publicly honor God in his Sanctuary. Sunday needs to be a day to spend as a family--loving each other, praying together, helping one another... it should be a day of grumbling, arguing or being apart from each other. It should be a day we devote to God and all that we do, do it for His glory. ... I think if we can manage to attempt to do this on Sundays, then perhaps we can hold on to the attitude of Christ's a bit longer and stronger and our days throughout the rest of the week may not be so cumbersome. Not that there wont be trials. The Bible says we will face trials. I just think that if we can come together and start a fresh on the first day of the week, Sunday, as a family, strong with the body of Christ, then how mighty will our attitude be, ready to face the week ahead?!

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Something else to say, we again sang the song during worship time Blessed be the Name of the Lord.... and there is something about that song that makes me just tear up. It says "You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your name."

In this past week, we've gone to a funeral and a wedding. We have seen such deep sorrow and also such great joy. We have been a part of a deep pain and a grief that is momentous to bear and we've also celebrated the happiness of a new marriage, a new life.

In all that happens in our lives, the good and the bad... Are we willing to say "Regardless Lord. Regardless of what you take or what you give... I CHOOSE to say, Lord Blessed be your Name. I choose to say that YOU are still God and you are my God and you are the God of the nations, you are the King of Kings, you are the Lord of Lords."

It is a choice.

You can choose to let something other than God rule your life...

or you can choose to say "Lord, BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!"