A question about Sabbath

Which of these 2 views of Sabbath do you hold to?

  • Continental View

    Votes: 46 45.5%
  • Puritan View

    Votes: 55 54.5%

  • Total voters
    101
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Maybe it's me...

and this does not answer the Sabbath question at all,
but being a teacher, parent of 4, small group counselor, friend (and often counselor/adviser to some of those), husband, and very social person all week long; being around people all day on a Sunday, is just not REST to me at all.

The service is great, then home for nap, walking, hanging with kids, a bike ride, all are very restful...for me, rest is taking a break from interactions with people outside my immediate family, and when the church does events that I feel obligated to attend on a Sunday afternoon, it's not restful, so the church all day would not be great for me.

Just my perspective, on what rest is. :duh:
 
Try this. Jesus Christ, as Lord of the Sabbath fulfilled it when he fulfilled the law and IS our sabbath, in whom we find true rest
What is meant by Christ "fulfilling" the Sabbath "when he fulfilled the law"? Are you meaning that the fourth commandment is now abrogated? If so, where does that place the rest of the Ten Commandments?

On the other hand, if Christ's "fulfilling" the law does not abrogate the Ten Commandments -- in keeping with what He said in Matthew 5:17, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" -- why would His "fulfilling" of the fourth commandment mean that it is abrogated?

Does the fact that Jesus is "Lord of the Sabbath" mean, in that context (Matt. 12:1-13; Mark 2:23-3:5; Luke 6:1-10) that the Sabbath is abrogated, or that He exercises a special lordship and sovereignty over that day, no less than He did under the Old Testament, when it was still of force ("the sabbath of the LORD thy God," Exod. 20:10)? If the latter, why would His being "Lord of the Sabbath" mean that the Sabbath is any less of force under the New Testament?
 
Try this. Jesus Christ, as Lord of the Sabbath fulfilled it when he fulfilled the law and IS our sabbath, in whom we find true rest

Try this:

LBC 22:7 As it is the law of nature, that in general a proportion of time, by God's appointment, be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in a positive moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, he has particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him, which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's Day: and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.

Please do not advocate unconfessional views here on PB.
 
I'd LOVE a Church that opened late morning (say 10am) and there was worship, meals, fellowship, prayer, etc. ALL DAY LONG, say until at least 6pm. No such Church exists that I've even heard of, and I don't see one ever existing because I know of hardly ANY person that would attend such.

I've heard of churches in Japan* which do this. I would like to attend such a church. But I also know that it would be a great stress on those organising such activities. And I cannot blame my failures to keep the Sabbath on there only being 90 minutes of formal worship at church.

*I think it was Japan, it may have been Korea.

Can I ask a question? What topics of conversation are allowed among believers on the Lord's Day?
 
A few thoughts that might be helpful in understanding this:

I vote for the continental view
It appears from a study of church history that what are now called the puritan and continental views of the sabbath are not much different in practice (see post#2 for links to several earlier threads on this topic).


because recreation is rest.

Yes, we can find recreation restful, but not what sabbath "ceasing" means. We rest from the ordinary work and play of the rest of the week in order to prioritize worship all the day.

Recreation lowers stress and creates bonding time for people.
Yes, there is value in recreation. Sometimes, our recreation (e.g. competition and organizing and sweating) can add some stress too, even though we find it personally enjoyable.

But the sabbath is not defined by us choosing anything we find enjoyable and calling that worship.

Remember, "sabbath" is ceasing, particularly from the ordinary work and all the words and thoughts that drive us the other six days in order that we might have focused, priority time on God.


It is fun. I think God likes it.

Yes, recreation can be fun. Based on the fourth commandment (Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5), God likes us to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy even more though. In fact, He commands His creatures to do so.

Remember the heart of the command:

1) sabbath "cease" (from ordinary work and play and the seeking of it in thought, word and deed)
2) holy "set apart" (the day is set apart from the common things of the rest of the week)
3) work the other days


tdowns tdowns

Maybe it's me...
and this does not answer the Sabbath question at all,
but being a teacher, parent of 4, small group counselor, friend (and often counselor/adviser to some of those), husband, and very social person all week long; being around people all day on a Sunday, is just not REST to me at all.

You're touching on something very important.

The fourth commandment is not to just relax all day and do whatever one imagines might be enjoyable to them.

It is to cease from the ordinary activities (work and play) that consume our time on the other six days in order that we might prioritize worship all day. Remembering that worship is personal, family and corporate and directing our thoughts and words, as well as our actions toward that.

It does not mean the day is not busy or full- it may be, but in a way that is different from the other six days occupied by other common pursuits.

One other thing that might be helpful in understanding this is that we have an opportunity to take a break from ourselves in the sense that we are not preoccupied with making money, earning a living or seeking to entertain ourselves. The focus is primarily on God, all the day, without the distractions of our ordinary, worldly recreations and employments.:)

In this generation, this is one of the more difficult aspects of the Christian life. We have a culture that ruthlessly seeks self- entertaining, recreating, amusing ourselves every moment of every day, when we are not making the money to support it.

But God calls us to "cease" from this pattern (not that work or play are inherently sinful) so that we "set apart" from them one day, and follow His ordinance from Creation that recognizes the Creation and redemption.
 
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