Lord of the Sabbath

What is Sunday for you?  We generally are up pretty early 6:00 - 6:30) and I make baked oatmeal for breakfast because it is Dad's favourite.  Sadly I discovered that this morning, I haven't enough berries to make it today.  :(   Since our church's drummer had a bad road accident, Dad has been helping to fill in on the drums, which - combined with Mum regularly on keys and singing - means that there is usually someone on each week.   Rushing to church at 8:00 for practice, then church, then Grace, Jess and me on coffee shop, etc it can sometimes seem that Sunday, our day of rest, isn't very restful!

Jesus said that man was not made for the Sabbath day, but the Sabbath day was made for man (Mark 2:27)  and we see proof of that right from the word go.  Have you ever noticed that the first whole day Adam and Eve lived was the Seventh day of rest?  If man had been made for the Sabbath, then the Sabbath would have been made first.

When Jesus said that we were not made for the Sabbath, he meant that it is not meant to oppress us with rules and regulations.  It is supposed to be the jewel of the week - a day of fun and joy and peace in worshiping and in delighting in the Lord.

It is interesting that Jesus also makes the point that He is Lord also of the Sabbath day.  Sometimes we can get so caught up in trying to organize Sunday, and even so busy in doing what we think God wants, that we can lose sight of that fact that He is Lord of the Sabbath and that all He wants is us to come to Him in worship.  I'm not saying that all the other things are bad and that God doesn't appreciate them, but what God really wants is you.  He doesn't mind if you didn't quite get all the breakfast dishes done before church;  He doesn't mind if your hair refuses to behave (David had spit running down his beard when he worshiped!) and God doesn't mind if you sing a bit out of key, play the wrong note, write down the wrong order... it has to do with you heart.  If your heart is there just wanting to honor, serve and worship God, then the rest will follow.

So keep it in mind, and remember that if you can't make it church today or some other day, don't stress.  You can worship our omnipresent God wherever you are.  Praise the Lord!