Sabbath obedience and outdoor endeavors lasting longer than a week

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Suppose there was a preacher on the trip. Suppose everyone rested on the Sabbath and the preacher lead a worship service. What would you think about that?
 
Suppose there was a preacher on the trip. Suppose everyone rested on the Sabbath and the preacher lead a worship service. What would you think about that?

I think that would be fine. Even without a preacher, a family on a long trip (ocean or land) could set aside a day of Sabbath rest and worship.

I am more speaking of situations where you won't have the cooperation of others.
 
One thing is certain:

It proves our cleverness in working out ways to violate the laws of God ... then we go further and attempt to legitimize it
 
One thing is certain:

It proves our cleverness in working out ways to violate the laws of God ... then we go further and attempt to legitimize it

Belin, I don't know to whom your comments are directed, but I would ask you to consider whether what you have written is charitable. The mere asking for insight into the application of God's law in everyday life is not an attempt to violate or legitimize anything.
 
Further, if you re-read the original post, you will see that the question includes a pre-commitment to the historic Presbyterian view of the Sabbath.
 
Wow! those are a couple of crazy adventures!

Just quickly looking at the situation it appears with these adventures it would require you to participate in the activity on the Lord's day. The larger catechism talks about ceasing from worldly employments and recreations on the Lord's day. I think it would be fair to classify these activities as sport/recreation.
 
Do they ever take a day long break during these adventures? Maybe you could get them to take their break on the sunday.
 
After being convicted by confessional teaching on the Sabbath, there are a lot of things I've chosen not to do because they required activity on the Lord's Day. For example:

I did not attend my graduation from an LLM program (advanced law degree) from the University of Washington Law School because it was held on the Lord's Day.
I do not attend weekend continuing education "retreats" at nice venues because they run over into the Lord's Day
I gave up sailing regattas, softball games, turkey shoots, and all sorts of other things.

Funny how I don't miss them, either.

I'm speaking personally, but for someone with my background, the easiest answer to the question is don't even tempt yourself.
 
We were created to "rule over the earth" and that would entail knowing it. Some people were designed to do great things -- things that take longer than a week. If someone's general life pattern is to set the day aside, and even in the midst of such an adventure take some peculiar time on Sunday I don't see a problem. Another caution would be to be particularly scrupulous in your day-to-day devotions. The concern here isn't so much keeping the letter of the law, but recognizing the tremendous blessing God has given us in the Sabbath. I can tell you from my days of fighting wildland fires (a 16-day commitment when you were assigned), that going straight through a Sabbath is spiritually and physically challenging.
 
Sabbath-keeping assumes the regularity of our devotion. The regularity of the event calls for additional regularity in the manner of it's keeping. God has made provision for our need and prescribes accordingly.

God's provision is not without allowance for exigences. Our Lord pointed to the care of a man's property on the Sabbath Day, as work of necessity/mercy commonly recognized as exceptionally lawful (see Lk.13:15; Mt.12:9-13; cf. Dt.22:1-4; Ex.23:4-5).

The feasts of Israel were mandatory--all eligible males were commanded to be present. But sometimes there were obstacles. Uncleanness was a particular issue in Num.9. The provision made was a "second-month" Passover, vv11-12. v13 envisions the possibility that even with a supplemental date, there will be some who still journeying simply cannot fulfill this important feast (and by implication, other feasts); but also that there are others who should be faulted for missing the date.

It seems to me, the conclusion we should draw is that some projects require extended time to complete them. Some thought is required with respect to how personal Sabbath devotion will be honored by the Christian so engaged, before he undertakes the project. Is the Christian in charge of the project? How will that affect the planning? Is he a participant? Will he be free to keep his own schedule on the Sabbath? How much necessity/mercy is in the activities of that day? What options are in the Christian's hands? Does the plan show no concern whatever for man's spiritual nature, or the commands of God?

The decision of what projects should or shouldn't be engaged is, I think, not for one man to make in the stead of another man who is not beholden to him. That is a conscience matter.

I do believe that the question posed is good and serious. Too many people think last-of-all of how some work, or some move, or some project will impact them spiritually. They first commit themselves in heart to their pet project; and when as an afterthought the matter of worship comes up, they assure themselves they will make do, or "God will understand," when those sentiments are actual proof of indifference to piety.
 
It is impossible to separate the confessional view of the Sabbath from the overall perspective of living to the glory of God. I imagine the Puritans would have been somewhat negative towards pursuing this kind of lifestyle in the first place.
 
I can tell you from my days of fighting wildland fires (a 16-day commitment when you were assigned)

I see a stark contrast in fighting wildfires and mountain climbing or boating for sport. The first is a necessity to preserve life, so firefighting, along with law enforcement and emergency medical professions, are permissable work on the Lord's Day. The latter, however, are sport/recreation. They are not a necessity and I would encourage a Christian to avoid them on the Lord's Day. God gives us six days of the week for our work and recreation. He requires us to set aside one day, ONE DAY, out of seven to honor him. If a Christian finds enjoyment in any recreation, then let him be taken up with it six days of the week, but let him joyfully set aside the Lord's Day in worship and honor the Creator.
 
It is impossible to separate the confessional view of the Sabbath from the overall perspective of living to the glory of God. I imagine the Puritans would have been somewhat negative towards pursuing this kind of lifestyle in the first place.

I think the Puritans would have a problem with the entire sports culture that has engulfed the world.
 
Tim

It's a great question which I have thought about in relation to myself and others. The issues as I see it are not: that the event takes one from church for an extended period, this is sometimes necessary in pursuit of legitimate soldiering, or even relocating to a mission field or something, neither is it that formal worship does not take place, it's not even the actual things you get up to on the Lord's Day, as I think you could legitimise working on deck for instance as a work of mercy and/or necessity in a ship context.

It seems to me that the issue is that these pursuits are taken up for recreation, and in themselves are not necessary, or merciful, thus in my conscience I would probably not do them. In a similar way I have not taken up opportunity to do running coach courses because they include Sunday classes.
 
On extended works of necessity or mercy, such as ocean voyages and prosecuting just wars, (among other things) the company of saints had a chaplain to conduct worship services to God, who the puritans believed was owed these services on His holy day. Thus, chaplains were hired to be the spiritual guides for such necessary endeavors. I do not believe climbing mountains for the sake of getting to the top, or racing 'round the word to be such necessary or merciful activities. They do sound like great fun, intriguing, exciting, etc. but not necessary, and not an act of mercy. Further, those who were considering even such necessary or merciful works, because of their Church membership, would require the leave of their elders before such an undertaking, because while it may be a necessary work, that does not mean that everyone *should* undertake to do it.
 
Of course all of life in all places is worship. Not on this Samaritan mountain or in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth.
 
"Hey guys, I think I'm going to take Sunday off. No worries, I'll catch up to you probably sometime around Tuesday afternoon. Peace!" :p
 
Of course all of life in all places is worship. Not on this Samaritan mountain or in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth.

I can't see how this is related to the original question.

I can speculate, of course, but don't want to. The thread is dealing with whether we should not engage in recreational activities that, by their nature, will take us from regular and weekly corporate worship.
 
Please comment, from a confessional Presbyterian perspective, on the propriety of participating in outdoor adventures that last longer than 6 days. I am thinking of endeavors such as expedition mountaineering and ocean yacht racing. See, for example:

Climbing Mount Denali (Alaska)

Clipper Round the World yacht race

You have the choice of doing them with friends who don't observe the Sabbath, thus making it difficult or impossible to consecrate the day to God.

Not doing them, and leaving yourself free to consecrate the day to God.

Doing them with friends who do observe the Sabbath, and planning to consecrate the day to God with them, in the process of your journey up the mountain or across the sea. You have to decide if you and your supportive friends are able to do this in all conscience.
 
Please comment, from a confessional Presbyterian perspective, on the propriety of participating in outdoor adventures that last longer than 6 days. I am thinking of endeavors such as expedition mountaineering and ocean yacht racing. See, for example:

It seems that you have several options.

1. Conclude that the Standards are wrong.

2. Conclude that the standards are right, and willfully violate them because you want to have fun.

3. Abide by the standards.
 
You have the choice of doing them with friends who don't observe the Sabbath, thus making it difficult or impossible to consecrate the day to God.

Not doing them, and leaving yourself free to consecrate the day to God.

Doing them with friends who do observe the Sabbath, and planning to consecrate the day to God with them, in the process of your journey up the mountain or across the sea. You have to decide if you and your supportive friends are able to do this in all conscience.

I'm exactly with Richard on this.
 
It seems that you have several options.

1. Conclude that the Standards are wrong.

2. Conclude that the standards are right, and willfully violate them because you want to have fun.

3. Abide by the standards.

Of course those are the options, but as I said above, my question includes a pre-commitment to the Presbyterian Standards, so all discussion should occur with regard to point 3. Unless we adopt the position that a person must attend worship at their membership/congregation without fail 52 weeks a year, we must deal with situations where one voluntarily puts themselves in a less-than-ideal location where it may be more challenging to maintain ones' desired Sabbath practice. This might be another congregation (perhaps that is not part of ones' own denomination) or perhaps a location where there is no adequate church and rest/worship occurs within the family alone.
 
I find this most helpful, Todd. It's often difficult, especially as a minister, to tell a member that what they intend to skip the Sabbath for is not necessary. Yet at the same time, the minister cannot himself be the judge of the necessity of a matter, but the one aiming to miss public worship.
 
It seems that you have several options.

1. Conclude that the Standards are wrong.

2. Conclude that the standards are right, and willfully violate them because you want to have fun.

3. Abide by the standards.

Of course those are the options, but as I said above, my question includes a pre-commitment to the Presbyterian Standards, so all discussion should occur with regard to point 3. Unless we adopt the position that a person must attend worship at their membership/congregation without fail 52 weeks a year, we must deal with situations where one voluntarily puts themselves in a less-than-ideal location where it may be more challenging to maintain ones' desired Sabbath practice. This might be another congregation (perhaps that is not part of ones' own denomination) or perhaps a location where there is no adequate church and rest/worship occurs within the family alone.

There is a lot of room for a confessional response between attending your own church 52 weeks a year and frolicking on a mountainside or a yacht on the Lord's day. You have set up a false dichotomy that seems to fall more readily into my category 2 rather than 3.
 
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