SUBJECT:  Sabbath

QUESTION:  I understand about children not participating in school sports on the Sabbath.  What Internet sources are there to will help me with this subject?  I am attempting to deal with this with my children.

ANSWER:

If you want your kids to grow into adults who value church participation, don't put sports ahead of church. If your family normally attends church together on the Sabbath, and you skip church for the summer because your son's baseball league plays during that time slot, don't be surprised if your child grows up with misplaced priorities.

How People of All Ages Can Keep the Sabbath

Children: Dress up, play Bible games with the family, listen to Bible Stories, ask questions on Bible from their parents, not play with neighborhood friends, not engage in competitive sports.

Teenagers: Dress up, play family Bible games, read the Bible, listen to family Bible Studies, answer and ask Bible questions, put school work behind them, not work on homework, not engage in school sports nor activities with non-believing friends.

Adults: Put work behind them, no housework, cleaning, ironing, washing, and heavy cooking. Dress up, take the family to Sabbath services if available, otherwise conduct a Family Bible Study and prayer time. Take a Sabbath drive and/or walk in a beautiful place. Spend time with the family! Visit the elderly. Read.

Elderly: Invite young people over. Write letters, Go on a walk. Read. Do some physical activity in God's creation.

Now having said these things, it should be remembered that this is for families, where both adults (husband and wife) are Sabbath Keepers.  In homes, where one spouse is unconverted, the converted member may not always be able to have the children to observe the Sabbath any more than the unconverted mate can make the children to observe what he or she believes.  In this case, the children will have to make up their own minds about whose example they will follow.

We found some Jewish sources on the Internet in which, at least in part, the subject of children playing sports on the Sabbath.

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/12-Kids/section-27.html From a Jewish site
http://judaism.about.com/od/jewishbeliefsandlaws/f/shab_sports.htm ...another Jewish site

 
back to the top