SUBJECT:  Sabbath

QUESTION:  What can one do on the Sabbath

ANSWER:

Thank you for your e-mailed question about how to keep the Sabbath in outlying areas away from a church.  First, you are not alone in this situation.  We have outlying members spread out from the far reaches of Alaska to remote towns in Europe.

What I am going to give you is a list of suggestions and you will have to choose which of these items on the list works for you.  You may feel that some are not appropriate for the Sabbath.  God's Word shows that sin is personal. 

...whatsoever is not of faith is sin.  Romans 14:23

All unrighteousness is sin...1 John 5:17  If you believe it to be unrighteous to you then it is.  This verse goes together with Romans 14:23

Example:

One church member does not have a problem with swimming some laps in his pool or shooting a few baskets in the backyard on the Sabbath.  To another, it would not be appropriate.  Each member must decide for themselves.  There is not a "thus saith the Lord" for each and every activity on the planet.  With this in mind, I will give you a list.  These are merely suggestions.  Some individuals will exclude some of these based on personal elements of belief.

1) Pray

2) Study

3) Meditate

4) Read

5) Do Biblical research on Internet.

6) Rest

7) Walk

8) Short hike in wilderness.

9) Picnic with family.

10) View videos or listen to audiotapes from Headquarters.

11) Take a drive out in the country or National/State park.

12) Converse with church members by e-mail, voice e-mail or Instant Messenger (like AOL Instant Messenger).

13) Converse with church members by phone.

14) Write letters to members or widows in the church.

15) Create a newsletter of encouragement for widows and shut-ins and work on it during the Sabbath.

16) Exercise lightly.

17) Phone a widow.

18) Visit the sick.

19) Take food to the needy.

20) Go to the library.

21) Watch any nature program on television (Anything about God's creation)

22) Watch any television program or videotape about archaeology of Holy Land or Bible related (that you feel is accurate and unbiased).

23) Fast

24) Listen to Classical music or any religious music you find suitable.

Clearly, you can combine some of these activities and elements such as driving to a State park to do your prayer or meditation.

I am not going to give you a huge list of things not to do.  Clearly you should not work for pay, do strenuous labor or anything that would take inordinate amounts of time from worship of God.

You would not do any shopping for food and necessities as this takes time and labor to do.  Eating in a restaurant would be okay as this does not take a great deal of time, does not make others break the Sabbath, does not take labor and can be good for fellowship.  However, others in the church are dead set against eating in restaurants on the Sabbath and Holy Days.  The church sees it as a matter of personal faith [personal element of belief] and states that nothing in the Bible precludes it.  The church has no position on personal elements of belief, one side or the other assuming no scripture is being broken.

 
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