The Gift of the Sabbath
Image via Wikipedia God Resting on the Sabbath - Engraving from First Russian Illustrated Bible Of all the controversy this holiday season, the one that has rattled me more than anything else is the fact that churches are closing their doors on Sunday, because Christmas falls on that particular day of the week this year. Christian churches with congregations that have opted to "be at home" on Sunday rather than come to church for services. When the subject came up at my congregation, we decided that the church would most definitely be open with Sunday service as usual. To me this seemed like a no-brainer. After all, we are Christians; it's Jesus birthday celebration AND it is Sunday, the one day a week given to worship and fellowship by many. Then, I wondered, what kind of a message are churches that choose to close giving to the world? Interestingly, I am reading a book for my seminary courses that touched on the importance of Sabbath. S...