"For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men..." Titus 2:11
"Surely I have composed and quited my soul..."
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.: Exodus 20:8
Do you remember when Sunday was the day that everyone prepared for? All the stores were closed and everything had to be purchased before the day. If you were missing an ingredient for your Sunday meal, you borrowed it from a neighbor. You couldn’t run down to the corner market and pick it up. Everything was closed. People, shop owners included, were not obliged to buy and sell.
There was an excitement in society when all that changed. First came the grocery stores who opened wide their doors to shoppers. We called it “convenient” and smiled as we padded the isles for this and that. No matter that the “Blue Laws” kept you from buying certain items. It was one more step for modern society.
But then a shift took place. More and more stores stayed open. Convenience was replaced with the selfishness of want. “I want to go to the store” or “I want to go shopping” became the reason for more and to stay open.
And now? Now every store is open, including the local hardware store so you can fix that faucet between the golf game and mowing the lawn. “New Sunday Hours!” announce that we have finally been successful at making Sunday like every other day of the week.
In our pursuit of things and convenience, we have lost the virtue that kept the day set apart and holy.
Things like,
- uninterrupted time with our families and friends.
- The quietness of a community that is resting from the business of labor.
- The security of knowing that all are taking time to breath easy and therefore it is O.K.
But there is no going back. So maybe it is time to go forward and make the Sabbath holy with new traditions. Teaching our children that it is a special day and living our lives apart from the business of commerce could be a good start. And let’s do it without a strangling sense of legalism. That would be refreshing!
This next Saturday, prepare for Sunday. Not with just food or activities, but prepare the heart of your family for a time together and quietness and security.
Sunday could become Sabbath for us again.
