# Baby Shower on Sunday?



## Washington2001 (Jul 29, 2005)

Should I go to my sister-in-law's baby shower? It is on a Sunday, scheduled during the time I go to church, and she and her siblings are Roman Catholic (I suspect only because her mom is--she doesn't seem too faithful to the church)

Regardless of the other information, is it appropriate to attend a baby shower anytime of day on Sunday's?

Thanks.


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## Puddleglum (Jul 29, 2005)

Hmm . . . I'm not 100% decided on whether or not anytime on Sunday is ok - I'm leaning towards the "it isn't" side, though - but if it's going to make you skip church, don't go. Think about what the purpose of Sunday is . . . does missing church and going to a baby shower seem to fit with what God made Sunday for?


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## Washington2001 (Jul 29, 2005)

That would then bring me to another question. How does one go about being Gentle and Kind when declining an invitation like this? 

Thanks.


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## Puddleglum (Jul 30, 2005)

Good question . . . hopefully someone else will jump in here & answer! I'd probably just say that I wouldn't be able to come, and if asked, say I had a prior commitment, or maybe that I was going to church. Depends on how well I knew the person.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 30, 2005)

It's too bad that your sister-in-law's baby shower is scheduled on the Lord's Day. I can relate to the challenges involved here. However, the whole day is holy and our duty is to spend the day in works of piety, necessity or mercy, and a baby shower, as wonderful as it may be, just doesn't meet those standards for Sabbath-keeping. 

I and many others who seek to keep the Lord's Day holy, by God's grace, have experienced either from family at times 1) an attitude of complete disregard for or obliviousness to our convictions on the subject or else 2) an effort to specifically go out of their way to challenge our convictions by scheduling family events on that day (I am thinking of family renunions, graduation parties, birthday parties, holidays, and the like). Those kinds of situations are difficult because we are compelled by Christian duty and natural familial affection to want to join with family members and friends in activities that are entirely proper and good in other circumstances. Celebrating a baby on the way is just such a joyful occasion. Very often, family and friends just won't understand. If you can provide a gift and a kind word of explanation in advance, it may soothe any difficulties and be received graciously. Such occasions may provide an opportunity to speak a wise word in due season with gentleness and the strength that comes not from self-righteousness but faithful adherence to the Word of God, who claims that day for his own glory and says we must find our pleasure in Him and not in ourselves. May God grant you grace and wisdom in your dealings with family as you seek to honor him in all of his ways. 

"...for them that honour me I will honour..." 1 Sam. 2.30

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap. 21:



> VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations,(o) but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.(p)
> 
> (o) Exod. 20:8; Exod. 16:23, 25, 26, 29, 30; Exod. 31:15, 16, 17; Isa. 58:13; Neh. 13:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22.
> (p) Isa. 58:13; Matt. 12:1 to 13.


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