Video games for youth group hangout time

[Tree]

My youth group meets on Sunday evenings and has a 'hang time' of fellowship at the beginning and end for most of this hangout time all the youth play a video game together. Should I participate in it as fellowship or not because the time is mostly centered around the game not specifically worshipping God or getting to know each other?

 

[lunarWood]

I do not think video games are permissible under the WCF view on the Lord’s Day, since it falls under worldly recreations. I certainly would not recommend you to participate, for the same reason I would not recommend you to watch sport matches on the Lord’s Day.

How confessional is the PCA church you are a member of? Specifically, regarding the Christian Sabbath?

 

[Tree]

Our church is very gospel centered but not particularly focused on the confession but teaches most of the content through other means. Recreation on the Sabbath is very widely practiced.

 

[Redeemed Ronin]

It depends on the person, context, and intent. If you consider watching a football game together or playing soccer, a board game or a card game together on Sunday as not permissible on the Lord's Day, then it's consistent to think playing video games in the context of fellowship not permissible on the Lord's Day.

Personally, I think it is fine in the context of fellowship (pre- or post-service) since conversations can occur between and within rounds, depending on the game. Like people can talk while driving (I cannot), I can talk and share my heart while playing video games — but it is not fine if it is in lieu of fellowship. Likewise, if the game causes division due to its compeitive nature, it undermines the point of fellowship and should not be played. For example, hanging out and chatting while playing Animal Crossing or Final Fantasy 14 online might be fine; getting riled up while playing Fortnite or League of Legends is probably not good.

That said, I'm still thinking through this and repenting where nescessary. Consider an exceprt from Vos's commentary on the Westminster Larger Catechism, pertaining to Q118, subquestion 5, on page 330:

What kind of activities should be excluded from family life on the Sabbath?
While some activities may perhaps be calssed as "doublful," the following are unquestionably wrong on the Sabbath day and should be excluded: studying day-school lessons; reading ordinary books and magazines; reading newspapers; listening to radio broadcasts of any kind (with the exception of orthodox religious broadcasts); playing ordinary games, whether indoors or outdoors; writing ordinary letters to freidnds or relatives, or other personsl conversation about financial or business maters; ordinary social visiting; common picnicking; attending publich amusements or athletic events of whatever type.

Food for thought. My opinion contrast from Vos's, and Vos is likely in the right and I'm in need of repentance. Nevertheless, I wanted to share both my own thinking and what another well-studied saint said. It's good to weigh and come to a conclusion yourself. Sabbath observance is a weighy, but worthwhile thing that requires a paradigm shift in how we spend our time, energy, and attention.

 

[Rom]

Read the Confession (21.7, 8) and Larger Catechism (Q. 119) for an exposition on the Biblical Doctrine of the Sabbath.

There is, perhaps, no better example of worldly recreation than video games.

It is also worth noting that not all "fellowship" with believers will be edifying or be fellowship. There should be a desire to make the time spiritual. When I was in Seminary, I went to a "fellowship" at a home on the Sabbath which was basically about drinking beers and cigar smoking, and the conversation devolving into taking potshots at other denominations. It basically became a drinking party and was not spiritual, even if the topics could be considered such. Now I have no problem with brethren who want to drink beer or smoke cigars. But the focus of the "fellowship" became on that and thrusting beers into people's faces. They were using the Sabbath as an excuse for carousing and not edification.

I never went back again. Our hearts are deceitful. I say this as one who often finds worldly thoughts and conversations arise on the Sabbath. The Lord is merciful, but He does reward obedience to those who take pleasure in Him and delight in seeking to keep His Sabbath.

Isaiah 58:13-14 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, From doing thy pleasure on my holy day; And call the sabbath a delight, The holy of the LORD, honourable; And shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, Nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; And I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, And feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: For the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

 

[TheBoringBaptist]

My youth group meets on Sunday evenings and has a 'hang time' of fellowship at the beginning and end for most of this hangout time all the youth play a video game together. Should I participate in it as fellowship or not because the time is mostly centered around the game not specifically worshipping God or getting to know each other?

This hits close to home for me since I like video games. I've played video games ever since I was 5 and have fond memories playing with family and friends over the years. As I have grown up, playing video games have pretty much become non existent in my life since I am doing other things like work, reading, and serving. When I do have some free time, I do like playing Paladins on my laptop. Also every now and then I do search up videos of gameplays of new video games that have been released.

With that being said, video games is an activity I do not see appropriate for the Christian Sabbath. Me being a Reformed Baptist, a good reference point for me is with the Baptist (or Keach's) Catechism:

1. Q. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
   A. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day (Ex. 20:8, 10), even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days (Ex. 16:25-28; Neh. 13:15-22); and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship (Lk. 4:16; Acts 20:7; Ps. 92:title; Is. 66:23), except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy (Mt. 12:1-13).
2. Q. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
   A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required (Ez. 22:26; Amos 8:5; Mal. 1:13), and the profaning the day by idleness (Acts 20:7, 9), or doing that which is in itself sinful (Ez. 23:38), or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about worldly employments or recreations (Jer 17:24-27; Is. 58:13).

Isaiah 58:13
English Standard Version ​

13 w“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure3 on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking xyour own pleasure,4 or talking idly;5

Nehemiah 13:15–22
English Standard Version ​

15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses lon the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, mwhich they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And nI warned them on the day when they sold food. 16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! 17 oThen I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, pprofaning the Sabbath day? 18 qDid not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster1 on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 As soon as it rbegan to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 sBut I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites tthat they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. uRemember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

Exodus 20:8-11
English Standard Version ​

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 a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

(Mr. Prakashpalan has given reference to the Westminster Larger Catechism and Confession as well)

Video games would fall under "worldly recreations" that are lawful on other days. For me personally, this is why I would not play video games on the Christian Sabbath. Playing video games on the Christian Sabbath is unlawful (sinful). Even given the context of Christian fellowship, I cannot see warrant for playing video games, especially since you have stated:

"the time is mostly centered around the game not specifically worshipping God or getting to know each other?"

The Christian Sabbath is meant for holy resting all the day. The day is to be spent in private and public (corporate), but the day should be centered with the believer worshipping God or doing works of mercy, necessity, and/or piety (I'm assuming you already know this. I apologize if I'm being boring).

Going back to the question, although I do not think it appropriate for me to tell someone older than me what they "should" do, I do think that from the viewpoint of the Holy Scriptures and Confessions/Catechisms, video games would not be a good idea to partake in during the Christian Sabbath.

I am willing to be corrected if I am wrong on any of my points.