Do we keep Sabbath differently today than we did when we first came into the church?

[ChildofChrist]

A couple of days ago, I ran into some professional friends assisting in a Health Fair. It had been years since I last visited with them and I was happy to see them. The M's is going to be selling the practice they have had for some 35 or 40 years. They have been traveling abroad and nation-wide involved in mission trips etc. They were both raised SDAs and have a long history in their families. Mrs. M said that they 'keep the Sabbath differently now their children are gone and have families of their own. One thing she mentioned in passing is that they often go out for dinner on Sabbath after church services. While I didn't pry, I am under the impression that they are just too busy. Is this a new trend for modern day professionals? My father was married to a E.R. nurse and they had long days and nights sometimes. They just ran out of time getting everything done. When I stayed some 50 years back with them a couple months, I felt that they were asking the 'gentiles' to break the Sabbath. When it comes to witnessing, does this make a good impression? In the past ten years or so, I would sometimes stop at the grocery and picking up some prepared dinners when I knew that there would be no fellowship luncheon...and I did not wish to prepare a whole meal. What's your thoughts? Are you seeing this happen where you are?

[JoeMo]

Hi CoC,

My Sabbath keeping has changed dramatically over the past 7 years.  In another thread, I explained how I used to be a "taliban" Adventist - a little to the right of EGW.  Sabbath was either in church, outside at park or mountains, or in the house reading Bibles and listening to the Heritage Singers (known in my most legalistic days as the "Heretic Swingers").  When I found out some of them weren't even SDA, we quit listening.  Basically, Sabbath became a burden and a pain in the neck.

Then I learned about "relationship".  Relationship with God, family, church members, and all other people.  I realized that my wife needed a Sabbath also.  On Sabbath, beds don't get made, meals don't get cooked or dishes washed (we go out for lunch after church frequently).  We leave an extra big tip to bless the server.  We may go to the mountains, we may go home and nap.    Or any of a dozen other activities that we would not otherwise do during the week.  Maybe we'll go to the museum or the zoo.  I have no problem paying the entrance fees.  We may go feed the homeless. It's about doing good; not about "resting" and being bored.

I guess you might say we "honor" the Sabbath as a day for God, family and friends rather than just "keep" it as a day of "rest" (boredom is probably a better word.  Now, Sabbath is by far my favorite day of the week instead of the most boring.  I can celebrate my relationships with God, family, and bros/sis's in Christ.

[Aliensanctuary]

Keeping Sabbath is a little bit murky in this life, but in the next, it will all be explained to us and be perfectly clear. While I have no remorse over turning on a light switch on Sabbath, some go to great lengths to avoid the practice. Some avoid travelling at all, but if we're going to visit family, we have occasionally stopped at a fast food restaurant for a quick meal. While for some, Sabbaths sometimes seem to stretch out interminably, in the next life they will never be boring.

Today's Sabbaths point us to Sabbaths in the Kingdom where rest is needed and we will never suffer from boredom or be tempted to transgress YHVH's laws for his Day of Rest.

[Gerr]

My early Sabbath keeping revolved more about what one could and could not do on Sabbath, especially the latter.  Now it's more

about the good I can/could do.