Sabbath in the arctic circle

[Hair]

What do Adventists do who live in areas where there is no sunset?... Like Antarctica and such at certain times of the year.

This question came up in our SS class today.

Some one suggested that they picked their own time and kept Sabbath.

Surely not... Then we can just pick our own time and call that Sabbath?

I'll just start mine at midnight tonight along with all the other churches. LOL

Does anyone on here know? What do they do? How do they deal with that?

[Stan]

in speaking with those who live up there, there is a time they can tell. I mild dip. That is in Canada, i was told those in Sweden just pick a time..

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

this is taken from "Frank Answers Questions on the Law and the Sabbath." Frank B Holbrook, Publisher: Nashville : Southern Pub. Association, ©1975.

[Gregory Matthews]

I am coming to appreciate more and more the contribution that Pam is making to this forum. I especially like the answers she often gives and the citations that she has to historical records.

However, in this specific case, I do not believe that Holbrook has given a complete answer. And I believe that he has simplified the situation beyond what is appropriate. I will suggest that the situation is more complex than he has made it out to be.

In actual fact, the SDA denomination exists above the Artic Circle with more than one method of determining when the Sabbath begins and ends. The SDA denomination is not monolithic in demanding that its members adhere to one form of doctrine. It teaches that people should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and their conscience. It recognizes that none of us have the full knowledge of what God would want of us. But, as followers of the Lord, we may be at different stages of our Christian growth.

In short, as it pertains to Sabbath observance above the Artic Circle, SDA members do have more than one method of beginning and ending the Sabbath according to time.

1) Even when the sun is visible for 24 hours and/or not visible for 24 hours, there is an astronomical sunrise and sunset. These astronomical times can be obtained easily just as in places below the Artic Circle one can easily obtain the time of sunrise and sunset. Some SDA members who live above the Artic Circle observe the Sabbath according to these astronomical times.

2) In the early days of our developing denomination, we said that the Sabbath should be observed from 6 PM Friday to 6 PM on Saturday. With the passage of time, we as a denomination changed to Sunset to Sunset. Some people who live above the Artic Circle, still adhere to the 6 PM time that we had in the early days of our developing church. As a matter of fact, about 15 miles from where I am sitting now, there is a devout SDA, who is active in a local SDA congregation, who holds to this 6 PM belief. That is when he begins and ends the Sabbath--at 6 PM.

3) There is another group that advocates beginning and ending the Sabbath at the same time it begins and ends in Jerusalem. They essentially say that the Sabbath should be kept at the exact same time everywhere on Earth.

I have never lived above the Artic Circle. I probably have not exhausted the subject. I will simply say again: The denomination has left it to the individual to go to the Lord and ask for guidance. It has accepted the differences that exist.

There is a (in my mind) a classic book on this subject. It is out of print. But, if you can obtain it, I recommend it:

Robert Leo Odem, THE LORD'S DAY ON A ROUND WORLD.

Maranatha Media had put Odem's book in the Internet with some of their added material. I would have preferred that they not do so. But, in any case they have placed this edited version on the Internet.

Here is one paragraph that Odem has said:

Quote:

Neither Sunday keepers nor Sabbath keepers have any difficulty in knowing when to begin their

religious rest days in the Far North. During two seasons of the year the visible sunset there serves to mark

the beginning and the end of the seventh day for the Sabbath keepers in the Arctic Region. And during the

period of days without the Sun’s appearance above the horizon, the Sabbath is kept from Friday noon to

Saturday noon, because that hour corresponds to the sunset time, as is proved by the last visible sunset

occurring at the beginning of the period, and by the first visible sunset taking place at the close of the

season. But during the season when the Sun is in the sky continuously throughout the day, the Sabbath is

kept from midnight Friday to midnight Saturday, because the Sun is at its sunset point-the nadir or dip at

that time of day, as is proved by the last visible sunset occurring at the beginning of the period, and by the

first visible sunset taking place at the close of the season.

The above sounds a lot like what Holbrook said. In my personal opinion, that is an over simplification.

In any case, there are some differences among Adventists. The denominational position is to acknowledge and recognize those differences.

NOTE: Odem's book is not always easy to understand. It is dated. But, in my opinion, it has value.

[phkrause]

Gregory if I'm not mistaken, I believe this subject came up a while back? I remember someone had mentioned that what they did was pick a time, like 6 pm, and they just went by that!!

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

the 1946 Odom book can be purchased through a number of used bookstores, via amazon.com

Click HERE

It really does look interesting in a number of areas..

(one of my SDA friends lives above the Arctic Circle...she and her family observe the Sabbath from 7PM to 7PM. She said not everyone does this, but that the Sabbath hours tend to be the same for members of each church in order for observances, such as Friday and Sabbath vespers, to have continuity and uniformity in time. But that is, by no means, the "law of the spiritual land"..)