“On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers…” (Acts 20:7a NLT)
According to my research, the two-day weekend is a modern-day phenomenon, considering it started being an employee benefit in the middle of the 19th century. Some individuals today, persons who work modified or optional schedules without sacrificing the total of hours work, may get a three-day weekend, and some even a four-day weekend. The latter two schedules, both with extended days off at the end of the workweek help a company in terms of retention and the scheduled rotation of shifts, enabling them to operate four unique shifts and to expand production without purchasing property or adding square footage and thus avoid additional costs. But that’s neither here nor there, as it relates to the question above.
Why I asked the question has nothing to do with HR issues, high productivity, nor hefty profits. I posed the question that perhaps I might get your attention and ask you two pertinent questions that are suitable for this morning’s brief meditation. First question: “Which shift will ensure that you enter into the Lord’s house on Sunday mornings?” Hint: Your answer should be, “All of them! It does not matter! I know what is expected of me on the Lord’s Day.” Second question: “Even though the concept of a week cannot be explained by astronomy related reasons that elucidate why we have years that are based on the rotation of the earth around the sun, or months that are based on how long it takes the moon to revolve around the earth, why does every week start with Sunday?” Your response should be, “You don’t need to remind me that today is the day of worship! It’s on my calendar to start my day off spending some time in the special presence of the Lord, physically or virtually, and the latter only due to the pandemic!” Were those your answers to the question that were not actually about work schedules, but worship schedules? Was it not the case that you had already decided to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise? Weren’t you already positioned to sing, “Glad to be in the service one more time?’ Isn’t it true that even if you are going through a situation, somewhat like John on the Isle of Patmos, isolated, and implicated because of your faith, that you will still worship the Lord on the first day of the week? That’s great! You made me smile! Oh, by the way, tell somebody in your house or call someone who is trying to hold their warm bed coverings over their heads and hang out at home, “Come and go with me, to my Father’s house!” For you, be able to make John’s words your words when someone ask you Monday, “What did you do yesterday?” Be blessed!
“It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit…” (Revelation 1:10 NLT)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King