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Inspired by this question: What qualifies as work on Sunday?

I know some churches are very specific that we should commit one weekday to the Lord (Saturday or Sunday). Much like Jews celebrate the Sabbath.

The need to rest one day a week is very real for me. I really find it necessary to take one day off work, studies and all that. I usually do this on Sunday, as it's usually practical. However, if I need to do something on Sunday, I have no problem with instead taking the following Tuesday off, resting, reading and praying. This seems to work well for me.

I've never found a reason to specify the weekday I should spend like Lord's day. Are there any?

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Related: christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/4/… – Flimzy Sep 18 '11 at 21:16

3 Answers

In Genesis 2:2-3 (NIV) it says,

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

It would seem to indicate only the existence of 'a day of rest', but there is no reference to a certain day of the week being more deserving of said title. I only see evidence that we should observe 'a day of rest'; though whatever day of the week that might happen to be is of little to no consequence really.

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I always had thought that this actually did coincide with the Jewish Sabbath, i.e. what we now know as Saturday. Yet the disciples started meeting on Sundays, which makes it seem the choice of day doesn't matter. – dancek Sep 19 '11 at 9:31
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Your observation is good, but I just realized this: The early Christian disciples were still Jews. This means they would still be observing there Fri/Sat Sabbath day as there holy day. Then, perhaps as a sort of follow-up, they began to meet the following day(Sunday) to discuss there life transformations wrought by Jesus. – Hyprhare Dec 3 '11 at 15:30

There is a situation where honoring the Sabbath would be difficult to do on any day besides Sunday. The conditions are:

  1. You believe that partaking of the Eucharist/Communion/Sacrament is an important part of Sabbath worship.
  2. Your church only offers Communion on Sundays.

If you don't fit those two conditions then its difficult to find biblical support against moving the Sabbath day around.

However, I would never personally do it. Besides the fact that I fit the two conditions described above, I would feel like I was saying, "The happenings of my life are of a higher priority than the Kingdom of God" (See Matthew 6:33). But that's just me. I know that's not your intention and its great that you strive to honor the Sabbath once a week.

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I do see the importance of communion, but not in direct relation to Sabbath. Is there a link between the two? – dancek Sep 18 '11 at 22:49
That was actually the point of my answer, to explain a situation when there would be a link. I'll reword it. – JustinY Sep 19 '11 at 3:53
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Actually I mean I could partake in communion on Sunday and work for the rest of the day, and then have my day of rest on Thursday. Does it matter that I get both, but on different days? – dancek Sep 19 '11 at 9:23

The Sabbath will always be Friday evening to Saturday evening since it is defined by being the seventh day (the very root of the word is seven).

"The Lord's day" is almost certainly Sunday (based on the day of the resurrection) though it is not exclusively so in all sources.

See my answer to the related question but it is a bit simplistic to say that the disciples started meeting on Sundays, since they met every day! See the other answer of that question for scriptural evidence that it is not important what you choose to do on which days, but "let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind".

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Welcome to Christianity.SE! Thanks for answering the question! The point I'm most interested in is whether it matters which day I choose as my day of rest. I know something of the history of Sabbath and the Lord's day, and I just used the terms in the question to help readers understand what I'm meaning by spending a day like the Lord's day. – dancek Sep 20 '11 at 22:27

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