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Rhythm
Out of curiosity I drove around town on Sunday to see which businesses were open.
Pathmark (open). Eastern Beer Distributors (open). Michael’s Restaurant (open). Glenside Post Office (closed). Wachovia bank (closed). Hollywood Video (open). Granny’s Sewing Den (closed). Mattress Giant (open). Sally’s Beauty Shop (open). SEPTA ticket office (closed). Hollywood Tans (open). Dovetail Artisans (closed). CVS (open). Giancarlo Upholstery (closed). Away We Go Travel (closed). Keswick Jewelers (closed). Orthodontics (closed). NAILS (closed). Beaver Opticians (closed). Taste of Philly (open).
I remember when our family furniture store crossed the Rubicon and started opening Sundays — because the competition was opening on Sundays. I expected that was the camel’s nose under the tent, and that in a few decades there would be absolutely no visible difference between the sun rotation cycles —- just one endless day.
It never quite happened. And the fact that it didn’t is instructive to me. Something there is in man that wants this rhythm of one in six, work and rest. Even when people try to declare independence from their Creator, they can’t seem to wrest free completely of who they are created to be.
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work….” (Exodus:9).
back to top16 Comments to “Rhythm”
This seems a good post on which to ask advice about a problem that I’ve been chewing over recently. I hope Andree sees the spirit of my question as similar to the spirit of her post and doesn’t think I’m hijacking her thread.
In our church, families often go out for Sunday lunch together after the service. It’s a great time of fellowship, relaxation, and even feels celebratory. It could easily be part of our sabbath tradition.
The problem, of course, is that by doing this my family and I are providing an economic incentive for the restaurant to remain open on Sunday. We are, in a sense, tempting them to violate the fourth commandment.
I suspect the answer to this moral quandary has something to do with one’s view of the Church in America. If the Church is a strange people in a strange land, we have no reason to hold others to our sabbath rules. Much like Mennonites borrowing a neighbor’s phone or medieval Christians borrowing Jewish money, we have a sense that the rules are meant for us and not them, so we are doing them (and God) no disservice.
But if America is a “Christian nation,” then it would be wrong of me to provide economic incentive for someone else to give up their sabbath rest and work for me.
What are your thoughts? Do you eat out on Sunday? Do you feel a need to rationalize it?
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I too have been wrestling with this question and have adopted this rationale; we do not go out to eat with other families after church on Sundays. Instead, some Sundays (not every), we have a family (or 2) over for a simple meal – most of which has been prepared the day before, thus following the pre-Sabbath rituals of old. We might put some meat on the grill and bread to warm in the oven, but the potato salad, etc. is all ready to go. Guests can bring something simple as well. Occasionally someone will make the inevitable stop at a grocery store for a last minute item…but only very occasionally – it is surprising how you can make do when you feel it really is pleasing the Sabbath-Maker. But we also know that we are free from zealous observing of ritual for ritual’s sake, so we are careful and gentle in not projecting our own choices on others. But when you diplomatically but truthfully turn down restuarant outings on Sunday, it does become known, and you know what? It’s catching!
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JJF: Do it picnic style at the park. Or do it potluck at each other’s home on a rotation. Ask the pastor for use of the fellowship hall and bring food potluck style. (Just remember to clean up afterward)
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I don’t generally struggle with going to a restaurant on Sunday, or on going to family-oriented recreational venues, such as the zoo, museum, concerts, etc. It is one of the few days that the family is together, and able to do such things. Those who work in these businesses, generally have some other day of the week off.
What does bother me more, is the increasing number of businesses, stores and restaurants that are choosing to open on days such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc etc. I do make it a point to avoid shopping or dining out on those days, as those employees are prevented from spending time with their families on these holidays.
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We avoid the Sunday out problem by going to church on Saturday night. We get to stay home and rest or putter for a whole day. It’s wonderful.
But back to Andree’s note: I am amused that a large percentage of the “businesses” that close on Sundays in our area are run by the government which is trying so hard to keep God out of the public eye.
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“Six days you shall labor and do all your work….” (Exodus:9).
I have always taken this as the maximum and feel that if you can’t get your work done in 5 days then you should pray to God for forgiveness and ypour family should hound you to death
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Here’s another question: frequently Sundays become days for “church work”–VBS practice, women’s meetings, nursing-home ministries, and three services a day at many conservative churches.
Something within me says this destroys the spirit of a “day of rest.” When I was in Germany this summer, we had a morning service and Bible study time and no evening service.
Do you all have an opinion on which is better?
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I’ve got a friend who is 7th Day Adventist. They have particular problems on the weekend because nothing can be done on Saturday for religious reasons. So that leaves them Sunday to do stuff. But a lot of places are closed on Sunday, including things like the Post Office.
I think what Andree and others are longing for is more of a cultural tradition in America. If one goes to Israel, their cultural tradition is to be closed on Saturday.
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What about those of us who work in the health industries – such as doctors, nurses, lab techs, etc and pharmacists at the local pharmacy, and firemen and policemen, etc – we MUST work on Sunday!!!
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Z41296 – And God bless you for doing so!
JJF – At my church, we have a once-a-month “Bring-Your-Lunch Fellowship”. Every now & then we make it into a pot luck for variety. It’s very nice.
Llama – A friend of mine reconciled the 5-day work week with the 6 days mentioned in scripture when she realized that the 6th day tends to be a day of errands &/or projects around the house. That’s work, too, in it’s way.
Kimberly – I agree that churches shouldn’t “overdo” on Sundays.
Thomas – Yeah, that stinks. My friend’s daughter had to work at K-Mart on Thanksgiving, smack in the middle of the day.
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We could get legalist about this. But let’s not.
The Sabbath was the 7th day. Now we celebrate the resurrection on Sunday in our worship.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath. (Mark 3) He was watched by the Pharisees and they did not like it. Those in health care are doing nothing wrong.
I like to rest on Sunday–but sometimes I have things that need to be done.
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Good point, Grandma. If we want to get all legalistic and disobey the Sabbath commandment we should refrain from any work (mowing lawns, cleaning houses, etc.) on Saturdays.
Fortunately, the N.T. says not to look down on someone else because of days or foods. Therefore, I enjoy taking my family out for dinner on Sundays after church (the first day of the week, not the seventh day of the week anyway).
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Correction: If we want to get all legalistic and OBEY the Sabbath commandment . . .
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OUTKAST:
Legalism isn’t as much about ‘what’ I do, as it is about ‘why’ I do.
Salvation is not gained by works, and judging conduct does not tell us much. ANY obedience can be done with a legalistic attitude. Are we doing/being to bring glory to self or God?
Sabbath-keeping does not equal legalism any more than praying or reading the bible do. There are sabbath-keepers that are legalists, but there are also legalistic prayers and legalistic bible-studying, etc. This does not mean praying itself is legalistic, nor sabbath-keeping. As you say,
“Fortunately, the N.T. says not to look down on someone else because of days or foods.”
So we know not to look down on sabbath-keepers as well.
And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Phil 3:15-16)
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No fears, Z — the Puritans answered that question (about health workers, etc.) rather nicely in question 60 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. Certainly your employment would qualify (I believe the Puritans even used the example of, if the local widow did not have any firewood on Sunday, you should stop and chop some for her as an act of mercy!), although I would hope that your employer would be somewhat merciful and not require you to work every Lord’s Day.
One thing that has always bothered me about going out to restaurants (a few others have already touched on this) is that you are virtually requiring others to work in your stead. This seems very much out of accord with the “rest” of the 4th commandment (you know, that part that most don’t memorize): “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates…” If the Israelites were required to likewise afford their own children, servants, and beasts of burden rest, how can we morally infringe on others? Granted, many of them may not worship anyway (but, otoh, many might if they were “freed”), but that’s not really an excuse, as many of those manservants/maidservants (and all the animals!) were not members of the covenant community either. Rest prefigures our salvation in Christ, and masking that freedom by imposing on others just does not sit well, imho.
It is a dicey issue, though, in a modern society. I think Metanoia’s suggestions above (along with Genie’s) do well to help provide some solutions to the food/fellowship question (our church, btw, has a monthly fellowship meal, and we’ve attended churches that do so every week). Hospitality is often a very uncultivated discipline among our modern churches (a reflection of the culture, it would seem), and the Lord’s Day would provide a good opportunity to that. Plus, you get to stick it to the restaurants!!!
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The restaurants will be full this Sunday – we try to pick a less popular one so we don’t have to wait so long.
We almost never go out to eat, Sunday or any other time, because it costs too much. But when we do it often is a Sunday because that’s when the whole family is more likely to have time to spend together.
We’ve occasionally asked people who work in restaurants on Sundays how they feel about it. Some like it, because so many church people do go out after church and more business means more tips. But I also have a friend who has not been able to attend church for months because she is always scheduled to work Sundays. Employees with more seniority choose to get the day off (this is a supermarket deli that serves full meals, not a restaurant, so I don’t think the workers generally get tips), and the newer employees like my friend have no choice in their schedules. (She is mentally challenged and there is not a lot of work available to her, so simply changing jobs is not much of an option.)
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