Sabbath

A few months ago, our leadership decided that it was time for our church to put into action the second half of our motto, "Out to love." They decided that we would do a service project on the last Sunday of every month that has 5 Sundays. June 29th was our first such Sunday. 50 people showed up at an elementary school in the city of Reading. Our mission? To show God's love by helping to make this a clean place for the children of that neighborhood.

The principal of that school anticipated some push-back from her superiors, but it did not come from them. Instead, it came from some of the people who attend our church! They refused to come because we were working on the Sabbath. In Matthew 12:11-12 Jesus makes Himself very clear when He said to the Pharisees:

"If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

And in Mark 2:27 Jesus says:

 "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Perhaps we have not taught these people that The Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic Covenant, whereas Christians are under the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3; Heb. 8). Perhaps they don't realize that there is no New Testament command to keep the Sabbath. Or do they not realize that neither the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) nor Paul cautioned Christians about breaking the Sabbath. Finally, perhaps they missed Colossians 2:16:

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however is found in Christ."

So, we don't find Christ just by going to church on Sunday, we find Him by doing His will too! The next "fifth Sunday" falls on Labor Day weekend so we may go out at a different time. We'll keep you posted.