A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a little about the sabbath. As this Sunday draws to a close, I thought that I would look a little more closely at the day most Christians set aside for worship.
Most people who know me are aware that I can be a bit obsessive about some things. For example, the cash in my wallet must be face up and in the same direction with no folds. Many people probably do this, but I take it to the next level! All denominations are placed together, with cleaner, crisper bills within each denomination toward the back and less desirable bills toward the front. Larger denominations toward the back working toward smaller denominations in the front.
I am also obsessive about calendars – back in the day when paper calendars and planners were still more widely used, I always had to have calendars in which weeks began with Sunday. For me, Sunday is the first day of the week. Fortunately, the first day of the week is a user-defined fields for most digital calendars!
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis we are told that on the first day of the week, God began the process of creation with the words, “Let there be light!” We are told that after having created the heavens and the earth and everything on earth, God finished God’s work and rested. We are told it was the seventh day. Thus, the sabbath was celebrated from sundown on the sixth day until sundown on the seventh day.
In the Gospels, we are told that after the sabbath, on the first day of the week, Jesus was resurrected. By the end of the first century, most Christians were worshipping on Sundays. One of the earliest known references to Sunday was by Justin Martyr in 155. In 321, the Emperor Constantine decreed, “All judges, city people, and craftsmen shall rest on the venerable day of the Sun. But countrymen may without hindrance attend to agriculture.”
What does all of this have to do with politics and religion?
For Christians, our worship is one of the ways we stay connected to God and to each other (along with prayer, Bible study and other forms of fellowship and discipleship). When we are connected to God and each other, we are more likely to love God and love neighbor. We are more likely to recognize our common ground. Automation and technology were supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient, however, it seems to drive us to work longer and harder. We need time to rest our bodies and our minds.
Most importantly, Sunday is also known “The Lord’s Day.” When we take time to worship, spend time with family and engage in activities that bring peace and rest, we are reminded that, despite the chaos, God is with us no matter what. I hope that this thought is as comforting for you as it is for me.