Always Reforming

One of the most controversial subjects amongst conservative Reformed folks (all 12 of us) is whether or not the Sabbath, the Old Testament day of rest, is still for today.  It is a controversial issue because it is an important issue, which is why I keep coming back around to it.  I was raised as a strict Sabbatarian, which meant that on Sundays we didn't work or shop.  Some were stricter than we were (some wouldn't even play sports casually in the backyard on Sundays), but they were few and far between.  While I respect my Sabbatarian brethren and their commitment to applying God's Word to their lives (even when doing so is unpopular), I have come to the conviction that this is not the teaching of the Bible.  As I continue to read and grow in my understanding, it seems clear to me that the Scriptures present a very different perspective on the issue. While the things of God are often very complex, I find it helpful to simplify things, if for no other reason ...

    I was raised a Sabbatarian.  Now, that word has shades of meaning, and I was at the darkest (almost)end of the spectrum.  Many people could be called Sabbatarian because they believe that in some sense the Lord's Day is the Christian Sabbath.  The actual implications of that concept are many.  For many in the Reformed Tradition that means abstaining from any work or recreation.  We were allowed to play sports and the like on Sunday, but work of all sorts was forbidden.  We had friends who wouldn't even toss a ball on Sunday.  Sunday, then, we believed, is a day of rest and worship, just like the Old Testament Sabbath.      My views are in a state of flux on this topic.  They have changed, and are probably not at their final stage of development.  I have begun to study the issue and to see the inadequacy of the explanations I was given as a child.  I will give a probably confusing synopsis of the t...