i would have to say that the theme for my summer has been Sempre Reformata or "always reforming." my thoughts on liturgy are becoming more and more refined as they go through fire and forming. i have become more missions/Gospel-minded, a stronger advocate for partaking in Communion (AT LEAST every month), and now, a struggling Sabbatarian. i'm telling you, it's that blasted Heidelberg Catechism, but ultimately God's Word that has challenged me in so many areas of my life.

after going over the 4th Commandment last week and actually teaching it to my students today, i became disgustingly aware of how far i am from keeping this commandment completely. well, allow me to give you an example of a typical Sunday:

wake up at 7:40.
get to church by 9:05.
staff meeting, em and yg service/Bible study til 1:15.
eat lunch at church.
chill somewhere until 5.
attend evening service until 6.
play basketball til 8.
come home, wash up, and eat dinner.
watch a dvd with Simon.
go to bed around 12.

now, i think the "average" christian would say that there's nothing wrong with my Sundays. i spend the majority of my day at church. heck, i even go to evening service so i get extra holy points, right? some time spent in hanging out with friends (for the sake of fellowship of course!) and conclude the day with some quality time with the family. is there anything wrong here?

i have come to realize that the Sabbath was given for us to rest in Christ. it is not a day of physical rest; rather, it is a day of spiritual rest.

Hebrews 4:9-10-There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

Exodus 20:11-For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Deuteronomy 5:15-Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

if you look at the last two passages, they give us a summary of WHAT we are to do on the Sabbath: we are to remember that God is our Creator and Savior! that is why we sing songs of praise, preach the Gospel, study His Word, and pray every Sunday whenever we are at church. but what happens as soon as we leave the church building? we turn on our secular music, go out to eat, run a few errands, and watch a movie with our friends. hmmm, the last time i checked, it was pretty dang hard to remember God as my Creator and Savior in the context of those activities. in fact, those things look very similar to my weekdays! are we really setting aside the whole Sabbath day to the Lord? do our days at church retreat look holier than our Sundays?

a particular issue i've been struggling with is the issue of spending money on Sundays. isn't it okay for us to go out and get some VIP and enjoy our fellowship? can't i take my small group out for some innocent boba? to be honest, i really don't know anymore. i mean, spending money is causing others to work, right? on top of that, we are indirectly preventing them from worshipping God as well. and clearly, Exodus 20:10 tells us that "you shall not do any work..." on the Sabbath day. spending money is like we're putting into effect a double standard: i'm not working b/c we're not supposed to work, but it's alright if you work b/c you're going to work anyways. is this the unspoken mentality that many of us have? i don't know about you guys but i have developed a conscience that tells me that even spending money is advocating work on the Sabbath.

this has become a huge problem for me because 99% of the christians that i know do not practice this. i am left all alone at church to eat alone while everyone goes out to celebrate someone's birthday at some restaurant. i am left feeling stumbled and discouraged by so many in the church. i can hear everyone's heart whisper that i am being too strict, unrealistic, conservative, and legalistic.

i don't know. am i really being Phil the Pharisee? has my interpretation of Scripture gone too far? or am i a rare minority that is seeking to be faithful and obedient to the 4th Commandment? i'm hoping for the latter, but i really don't know. but even with all of that aside, i realized how terribly i fail to keep the Sabbath holy. i usually use the latter parts of my Sunday playing ball and watching movies. for sure, i am not getting any spiritual rest from these activites. God commanded spiritual rest. i am replacing spiritual rest with worldly rest. therefore, i am breaking God's commandment. i am so sinful. even if my activites were "spiritual," there's obviously the issue of my heart as well. i can't believe how sinful i am. but friends, whether or not you agree with anything that i have said thus far, we can all share in thanks that we have a God who sent His Son to obey EVERY commandment perfectly so that we too could be declared righteous. Christ makes the impossible a possibility and reality for us. church, do not see your Sundays as burdensome and restricting. rather, see them as liberating and refreshing as we receive spiritual blessings in worshipping God through remembering the Sabbath.

i have my third retreat tomorrow-yg retreat. ironically enough, the theme is Rest in Christ. please pray for the speaker, James Kim, the awesome counselor, Phil Chung, and the sinful yg students including John Ro.

Thought of the Day: Sabbies.
Song of the Day: Choral Postlude-All Creatures Of Our God And King