What does keeping the sabbath holy mean to you? Are we doing enough to honor the sabbath? I know some religions are very serious about their sabbath. Because of Jesus teachings, we know that it is okay to do work type stuff if necessary.

So what is your good, better, best of keep the sabbath holy? I could def do better so I’m working on it.

I admit, I haven’t kept the sabbath holy.

I've been chasing money to keep my family housed.

It's lose, lose, I guess.

I have become more strict in the past couple of years.  Mass has always been a requirement, but now I try to avoid any commerce on Sunday - anything that would require someone else to be at work. No grocery store, hardware store, movie theater, restaurants, etc.  if I am traveling, I can't avoid gas stations and places to get food, but I do my best to avoid routine commerce and set the day aside for worship and relaxation.

Romans 14:5
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Every day is holy.

Every day is the same for me. However, I do take time to retire from the world and pay attention to my inner life, because what is inside displaces the outside world and keeps it there where it rightfully belongs.

When you pause to consider, it's always now.
Things can only actually happen now.
You can only actually do things now.
Your consciousness can only be now.

You can intellectually think about the past and the future, but you still can only think about them now.

Great replies, I appreciate the insight, and discussion. Growing up, we had strict rules on what we couldn’t or could do on sabbath. I believe that everyday should be a time to reflect on Gods gift to us. I’m still trying to figure out the fourth commandment and how it applies to me. Right now, I try not to burden or make people work on sundays. Considering it a day of rest but what was once considered rest, might not be the same today. I always pondered people who would tell me not to go out on the boat with the family but a walk around the town was fine. Not trying to bash on any form, just looking for different opinions

That's how I approach it.

The Sabbath, technically, is Saturday; the day the Hebrews were called to remember, to keep, and to hallow or sanctify by resting and contemplating.

Since Christ rose on a Sunday, the early Christians gave up worshipping on the Sabbath and instead ordered their lives around the Lord's day. Saturday in the Orthodox church is still the Sabbath, the day when we especially remember the departed, since Christ rested in the tomb on that day.

I view it as a day you should rest from your works, but not rest from God's works. As Jesus noted, the priests violated the sabbath, but were allowed to because they were doing God's works.

As Jesus also pointed out, the way it was implemented in his day on the earth, it became a burden rather than its intended function of lifting burdens. So the implementation of the principle needed to be restored to its proper function given the new context.


That being said, functionally, it should be a day to restore yourself, to restore your relationship with God, restore your relationship with the other images of God (i.e. people), and not to be afraid of rescuing a sheep, or fixing your car (but don't make a habit out of it).

That’s Old Testament.

Jesus only had 2

Love me as you have loved no one else

Love thy neighbor

This is my take on it also. That being said, I frequently violate it and should make an effort to take it more seriously.

Same here, but I do it for the third commandment.

Jesus became our Sabbath. Passover is the highest Sabbath.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8
King James Version
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth

I was taught that this is the only commandment that was not reiterated in the New Testament.

I was told there would be no math

Sabbath means 7, and Biblically refers to the 7th day, and to our Father's 7 Holy days that He gave to us for our edification.
Days 1-6 are not Holy, but are normal working days. The English word Holy comes from the Hebrew word Kodesh that means set apart.

So God blessed the seventh day and made it Holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

In Ezekiel it says:  I am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and follow them. Sanctify My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

1 Timothy 5:8
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.


Romans 14

5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.




Don’t stress about it. Put food on the table for those you’re responsible for.

A lot of mandatory OT at my job because of sporadic supply chains and the younger generation having zero work ethic (here today. gone tomorrow ). I do avoid shopping or dining out on the sabbath to take a load off of others who have to work and send a message of disapproval even though I'm sure it makes a very small difference in the grand scheme of things.

Make every day Holy by charging into them as a zealot on fire.

Problem solved.

You cracked me up!

Many people with that predicament these days.  I won't throw shade at you, but that is exactly why I try to not transact commerce on Sundays.

I'm not perfect on that score though. Had an airline pilot friend/former neighbor with a Sunday layover a couple weeks ago. We went out for burgers and beer Sunday afternoon.

I learned something new. Some Prots don't follow the Old Testament or Commandments. Interesting.


My family makes a concerted effort to do nothing but family & God on Sunday. We try to buy what we need the previous day and have all meals at home. This sometimes changes due to travel to other churches or if I must work. But I won't take OT on Sunday unless it is in the evening (10pm to 10am)

Didn't God have the Hebrews collect enough Mana for the Sabbath? Wasn't that so they would need to effect others & labor?

I don't buy or sell or do any work I might do on other days.

The 4th starts with the word "remember" so it was already in place long before the stones. God knew it would be easy to forget.

"The Law is good, but cannot be kept. It is revelation from God, but not an end in itself. The purpose of the Mosaic Law is (a) to reveal the difference between good and evil; (b) to make the world accountable to God (Rom 3:19); (c) to manifest sin (Rom 3:20); and (d) to be a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ (Gal 3:24). Though it is not opposed to the grace of God, the Law cannot save us or make us righteous"
-Orthodox Study Bible

Also check out Rom 2:14-15, 3:27, 7:25, 8:2, Gal 6:2, James 1:25, 2:12

Yes, He did have them collect a double portion of mana on the 6th day to have food for the Sabbath. Then on the 1st day of the week, it was back to collecting for a single day.
Mana kept over until any other day than the 7th day would breed worms and become foul.

Ex. 16:22 Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.”

27 It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? 29 See, the Lord has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Thank you for the civil discussion and interesting thoughts. It’s great to hear different perspectives. Y’all know more about scripture than I do and this shows that I need to do more reading.

Duet. 30:8 And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; 10 if you obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

The Sabbath is the (Saturday) is the 7th day. In the early days the Apostles where faithful Jews and observed the Jewish Sabbath and on the first day, Sunday, observed
the Resurrection of Christ and the last supper The Transubstantiation of bread and wine into the True Presence of Christ.
....but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested.

I recently pondered this myself, because I've had to work weekends. The Lord understands that animals need fed, light meals need to be cooked, etc. But paid work, or things that are to heavy labor is to be avoided if possible. First and foremost we are to gather to worship the Lord our God in community. These are the "first fruits" in offering our selves to Christ and a great act of Love of the Lord.  The days activities should be God and centered on the family and rest. Not necessarily recreation about us. We have 6  other days for all else.

That being said, it takes some pre-planning to accomplish making the Sabbath Holy. For example  I care clean the animal areas twice on Sat, and prepare their food to limit the amount of labor I would due on Sunday. I don't shop or purchase things on Sunday, or do anything that would cause someone else to have to work. I'll prepare something the day before for meals so the minimal amount of work will be needed on Sunday.  I try to concentrate on God throughout the day. If its something major that can't be avoided then I try to make take an hour each day during the week to make reparation. I haven't quite mastered all of this just yet.
There are some professions, which God has called folks too, such as healers,  protectors, etc where their jobs require them to work around the clock for the good of others. These things also server the Lord. As we witnessed healing on the Sabbath by Christ. Sunday we are with the Bridegroom so we do not fast on Sundays.

The biggest thing is not to place other things above the community worship of God. I know one very devout family whose kids play travel sports year round. Most tournaments are held Sat and Sundays. The family before taking the trip as a unit searches and finds a mass to attend BEFORE they attend the tournament. We shouldn't skip community worship because we have something else we need to do. I find if I make this concerted and very conscience effort then keeping Christ first the rest of the week is much easier.

Take a day each weak to regenerate your body and not grind it down.  Take a day a week to regenerate your mind and spirit by directing attention to the word and ways of God rather than man.  The day is made for man for his wellbeing.  Try it if you're not accustomed to it.  Of the days you devote to yourself and the things you are interested in, is it so great a sacrifice to set one of them each week aside to rest, and pursue your relationship with the creator for you and your family?  How would our civilization fare if all had given this focus?