Richard Dawson, 31 October 2014

How important is Sunday and the rituals which are traditional for Christians on that day? Is it that important to maintain Sunday as a ‘Church Day’ or can we, dare we, allow this to change. I suspect Jesus wouldn’t mind a bit of change. After all it was He who said that the Sabbath was made for people and not people for the Sabbath. But just how far should we go with that? Do we do away with ‘church’ altogether citing the greater importance of serving ‘people’ and their needs? I think this question needs at least two answers. On the one hand if we’re talking about the actual day i.e.Sunday then we can afford to be lenient. Although it’s handy to develop a habit of worship on a particular day I don’t think God really minds what day it’s on. On the other hand if we’re talking about the Sabbath and all that attends it then we can’t so easily dismiss it. Jesus never spoke against the Sabbath. The different rhythm of that day, the fact that it meant rest and a chance to worship is, I believe, vital for the health of our churches and the individuals within those churches. Without a regular weekly rest we simply become too tired to make good decisions. This is to say nothing of the fact that God requires that we take such a rest and so blesses this.
Whatever is not done on this day doesn’t become a penalty for the faith community. God promises to make up for it if not in a material way then in health and vigour and spiritual vitality. Our Sunday routine may not need to be on a Sunday but it needs to be weekly and it needs to include worship and rest.