Sunday…Party Day, Not Nap Day!
Okay, maybe feast day would be more appropriate, but that would be a boring title. Pastor Wilkins really provided some helpful insight in his sermon that got me thinking more about this topic of how we as Christians should treat our sabbath, the Lord’s Day. This is something that I have really been thinking on and about lately.
Sunday shouldn’t be this day of isolation where you read or keep to yourself. Sunday is a day to celebrate the work we have done in the previous week. God didn’t need to rest after creating the universe in 6 days. He rejoiced in what he had done. That should be the same emphasis we have toward Sundays.
Yes, resting is very much a part of Sundays. We need to focus more on giving rest, than receiving it ourselves. To many times when we say Sunday is a day of rest, we mean, a nap day for us. We think of it as a day to be alone and read, etc. It should be a joyful and holy day. It should be set apart from the other 6 days of the week, in every way that we can. How can you celebrate by yourself? I think we should not be so focused on OUR rest and OUR nap as much as giving rest and fellowship with our brothers and sisters.
You can celebrate with your physical, but why limit yourselves to them when you have God’s family the Church. Having people over is another way to beef up the celebration atmosphere on Sundays. So if you invite people over to eat and fellowship with you, you are giving them rest. I would add that you are also refreshed by serving and fellowshipping with them. So what if you have to do dishes for an hour after they leave. So what if you don’t get your nap in. So what if you are exhausted. You can make provisions to get a good nights rest and prepare the day before for having people over at your house.
If we want to change the world, we worship on the Lord’s Day with God’s people at church. That is the most important thing we do in the week and that is the primary focus of Sundays. If we want to reinforce to our children and our communities the importance of Sundays, then we go “all out” in making it a party day. That doesn’t mean that we have to have 20 people at our Sunday table, but it does mean that our kids need to see that Sunday is special and different from the other days. It should be fun and exciting for them and us.
We have lots to be thankful for and Sundays are the day in which we can enjoy all the good things that God has given us.
In as much as we are able in this phase of our life, Sarah and I want to celebrate and party with God’s people each Sunday. If that includes a nap for us somewhere in that day, then great. But if that means giving rest to others and preparing a meal, then let’s do it.
By way of conclusion, if we were playing one word association where someone says a word and you say the first word that comes to your mind, when we say, “Sunday After Church” I would hope my kids said “party or fun day or celebration” before they said, “nap time.”
What a great perspective… thanks for the insight.