Sabbath From a Canadian Perspective
By Brian P. Doyle
Brian lives in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (Acadia University, Nova Scotia), a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax), and a Diploma in Public Administration (University of Prince Edward Island). Brian has worked in Christian Education and outreach with The Kirk of St. James Presbyterian, Charlottetown. He has also worked as Program Assistant in Christian Education with the National Church Offices of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Brian now holds a Certificate in Christian Faith and Life from Knox College at the University of Toronto.

The Genesis passage from which we derive our understanding about observing the Sabbath seems straightforward enough for me to have as a model to guide me in my Christian living. As a Christian, living in a pluralistic society with increasingly secular or non-Christian faith traditions, the reality is that society does not observe the Sabbath. Retail stores are open on Sunday (with exceptions such as from where I am writing), and work in many disciplines continues on Sunday. For some people, Sunday provides an opportunity to sleep in after a late night Saturday, while for others it provides an opportunity to come together in worship. Sunday, in the contemporary context, is not that much different than any other day except that transit schedules are altered and long distance telephone rates are discounted!

And so the whole universe was completed. By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. He blessed the Seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. (Genesis 2:1-3)

Within theological scholarship, there is much discussion about our individual Christian practices within the postmodern framework. Specifically, it involves the challenges (and the liberating possibilities) of being a Christian in the post-Constantinan era. This means that until relatively recently, for those of us in Canada and the United States, Christianity was a part of the social fabric- which among other things, meant that society conformed to observing the Christian Sabbath.

In the American experience, the country was built on the premise of freedom of religion. This meant the freedom to practice your religion of choice without persecution from the state. And while this remains true today, since the 1960's many have chosen freedom from religion. Canada did not so much persecute individuals for their religious practices in the manner in which the Puritans were persecuted in Britain. Nor did this happen in the same way which people outside the dominant religious belief are persecuted in countries around the world. However, it can be said that Christianity was the religion of the religion of the state.

It is interesting to note that Canada, with the inclusion of the Charter of Rights within the Constitution in 1982, allowed individuals (who felt persecuted or infringed upon by legislation which reflected a Christian bias) to challenge laws. Ironically, the landmark case, which used the Charter to strike down "The Lord's Day Act" in Alberta, did not illustrate that an individual's rights were infringed upon. Rather, it was a corporation, which argued the Act was unconstitutional.

The point I am trying to illustrate is that in the past, Christians could more easily practice their faith by being obedient to the law. This is because the laws of the state had some correlation to the laws as derived from the commandments and the teachings of Christ. Further, we are instructed as Disciples of Christ not to be slaves to the law but to be Disciples of Christ in faith, which means that we follow Christ in grace. Today, however, there are many activities which are legal and which are contrary to Christian practices.

Corporate Worship

An important aspect of keeping Sabbath, or observing Sabbath, for me, is the need to be intentional about Sabbath. Participating in corporate worship is an important part of observing Sabbath. One reason for this is hearing the Word. It is true that I could just as easily look up the particular lectionary readings (or simply select other passages) and engage the scripture on my own. In fact, this is alternatively a Sabbath practice, which I engage in from time to time-usually in nature. However, hearing the Word in a corporate context carries with it a particular spiritual dimension, which is beyond that which is experienced in a personal reading.

This is not to say that personal reading does not carry with it a special quality; but when I hear the Word in a service I am aware that whether I am reading the Word, or someone else is reading, there is an awareness that there is a message which transcends time. There is a certain hush, a silence that fills the congregation. There is this unwritten and unspoken sense that this is one of the reasons that everyone has gathered. It is a magical moment. It is transformative because in hearing the Word, even when I have heard it before, I am changed. And there is the awareness at that moment, which knows that in some small way everyone around me is changed. I also believe that participating in the Eucharist is an important practice since it reminds me that people within and beyond the congregation are part of the body of Christ.

Corporate worship is not the only way that I experience Sabbath if I consider Genesis 2:1-3. I am confronted with the notion of setting a day aside for rest. So, while continuing to be in the Word and continuing to worship God is a part of Sabbath I recognize that I am also called to rest and seek restoration on the Sabbath. Believing the Bible to be the inspired word of God and desiring also to attempt to mesh Biblical teaching with scientific realities, I want to make sense of this teaching to rest on the seventh day and to practice that in a way which is genuine. I want to know what message the Word has for me within the context in which I live.

Physically resting on the seventh day might be particularly relevant to someone in an agrarian society or someone who lived in a time where work was very laborious. I reflect on my career in the fitness industry where I learned that it is just as important to rest from exercise, as it is to engage in it. Continually exercising can result in a number of problems ranging from fatigue and exhaustion. Likewise, if we are continually using our minds to process information, we run the risk of burning out.

For me, Sabbath, in addition to corporate worship, is a time for intentionally retreating from work and the trappings of society (the shopping mall), the Internet, and to get-out-in-nature. I love to take a walk along the beach at Stanhope and enjoy God's creation. I am fortunate enough right now to be in Prince Edward Island. But it does not matter where I am. I can always find a place of beauty nearby where I can connect with nature. It is in nature, away from the roar of car engines, the hustle and bustle of the world, that I can quiet my mind and reflect on God's message in scripture and where I need to be. It is in nature that I can become focused on the gift of what God

I "practice Sabbath" because I believe in the practice. Unlike those who are overly focused with the rules and laws, I appreciate that I have to work on some Sundays and so do many others including doctors and ministers. Contrary to those who would counsel me to find another job or profession so that I wouldn't have to violate God's command, I believe what this means for me and for others (who are needed to work on Sunday), is to set aside an alternate day and observe it as God's day. Then we can truly engage in rest, renewal, God's Word, and God's creation.

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