Children's Birthdays and the sabbath

Sonoftheday · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 08:23 PM

My daughter turns 1 on March 13. March 13th does not fall on the Lord's day, so my question is not in regard to this year. But eventually March 13th will fall on a Lord's day. I want to make my childs birthday a special day for them, especially if there is a birthday party.

Should a birthday be celebrated on the Lord's day?
i currently hold the conviction that one should not.

What do you do whenever your kids birthday falls on the Lord's day, or if one of their friends birthday is celebrated on the Lord's Day?? (that is if you hold to the same conviction as I do on it.)

MrMerlin777 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 08:44 PM

Most here will probably not disagree with you.

jaybird0827 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonoftheday

My daughter turns 1 on March 13. March 13th does not fall on the Lord's day, so my question is not in regard to this year. But eventually March 13th will fall on a Lord's day. I want to make my childs birthday a special day for them, especially if there is a birthday party.

Should a birthday be celebrated on the Lord's day?
i currently hold the conviction that one should not.

What do you do whenever your kids birthday falls on the Lord's day, or if one of their friends birthday is celebrated on the Lord's Day?? (that is if you hold to the same conviction as I do on it.)

The Lord's Day is the Lord's Day. It's not Mother's Day. It's not Father's Day. We believe that a birthday celebration detracts from the Lord's Day. In our family the celebrant gets to choose - Saturday or Monday - when their birthday falls a Sunday. All of us think it's more fun to wait till Monday - gives us something to look forward to.

AV1611 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonoftheday

Should a birthday be celebrated on the Lord's day?

No.

Question 117: How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified?
Answer: The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to betaken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship: and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

Quickened · #5 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 12:00 PM

Never thought about this before! Good thread and thanks for making it!

jawyman · #6 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 12:04 PM

My daughter (5y/o) has been invited to a birthday party that is being held on the Lord's day. The family that is having the party are Lutherans and see no problems with it. We have told our daughter that perhaps she can come over play on Monday or some other day, but the Lord's day is the Lord's. Anita will not be allowed to attend. This is my family's conviction.

greenbaggins · #7 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 12:43 PM

I appreciate the concern with having the Lord's Day sacred (a concern I also share). However, I think that one point should be brought up here, and that is that worship has a horizontal element to it. Would we think it wrong, for instance, to go to someone's house, who was having a get-together, maybe a pot providence (or, as Calvin would say, pot luck)? The fellowship of the body is an important aspect of the Lord's Day, in my opinion. Otherwise, the corporate nature of worship has no meaning. I think that a birthday party can be done in a way that dishonors the Sabbath. But I think that it can also be done in a way that honors the Sabbath. So, in classical theologian's terms, it depends.

Augusta · #8 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenbaggins

I appreciate the concern with having the Lord's Day sacred (a concern I also share). However, I think that one point should be brought up here, and that is that worship has a horizontal element to it. Would we think it wrong, for instance, to go to someone's house, who was having a get-together, maybe a pot providence (or, as Calvin would say, pot luck)? The fellowship of the body is an important aspect of the Lord's Day, in my opinion. Otherwise, the corporate nature of worship has no meaning. I think that a birthday party can be done in a way that dishonors the Sabbath. But I think that it can also be done in a way that honors the Sabbath. So, in classical theologian's terms, it depends.

Pastor, isn't the corporate nature of worship that we focus on Christ together? Isn't it all of us with one accord looking to Christ, not all of us together celebrating a birthday or any other thing? The corporateness is focused on the worship of God, not on interpersonal relationships?

We do uphold one another and help one another as brothers and sisters but that would normally occur in daily life, would it not?

greenbaggins · #9 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:56 PM

Yes, it is focussed on worship. However, the worship of the body of Christ has consequences with regard to fellowship. Is fellowship appropriate on the Lord's Day? Again, I ask this question: would anyone have a problem with getting together to share a meal? After all, the "love feasts" in Corinthians were definitely not the Lord's Supper, if Paul had to warn some about getting drunk. He doesn't reproach the Corinthians for having the "love feast." He reproaches them for inappropriate behavior during said feasts. Given also the eschatological trajectory of Sabbath to the wedding supper of the Lamb, feasting (guarded by the biblical limits placed upon behavior at such feasts) is appropriate for the Lord's Day. And if, at said feast, praise was given to God for God's providence in preserving someone's life another year, and gifts were given to said birthday person, I don't think there could be raised any biblical objection to it.

MrMerlin777 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:06 PM

Interesting.

Augusta · #11 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenbaggins

Yes, it is focussed on worship. However, the worship of the body of Christ has consequences with regard to fellowship. Is fellowship appropriate on the Lord's Day? Again, I ask this question: would anyone have a problem with getting together to share a meal? After all, the "love feasts" in Corinthians were definitely not the Lord's Supper, if Paul had to warn some about getting drunk. He doesn't reproach the Corinthians for having the "love feast." He reproaches them for inappropriate behavior during said feasts. Given also the eschatological trajectory of Sabbath to the wedding supper of the Lamb, feasting (guarded by the biblical limits placed upon behavior at such feasts) is appropriate for the Lord's Day. And if, at said feast, praise was given to God for God's providence in preserving someone's life another year, and gifts were given to said birthday person, I don't think there could be raised any biblical objection to it.

I understand fellowship meals as still being focused on the body of believers fellowshipping together to the glory of God. To me, it seems to still fall under focusing on God. A birthday party is not focused on God. You have ceased to fulfill Isaiah 58:13-14

13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD;

The whole family with the person whose birthday it is are doing their own pleasure and their own ways, would they not?

greenbaggins · #12 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:42 PM

I am well aware of Isaiah 58:13. But a fellowship meal is not doing one's own pleasure, but promoting unity in the body of Christ by means of fellowship. Such is surely God's will for the church.

Your question about the family is precisely the reason why I would argue that a birthday party can be done in a way that dishonors the Sabbath. But it does not have to be done that way.

Augusta · #13 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:46 PM

I agree with fellowship meals entirely. I am with you on that. I am asking, are birthdays and other gatherings equivilent to that? I cannot see how they can be reconciled to the whole day being set aside for the worship of God and resting from our worldly labors.

Westminster Catechism

Q. 60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days;[145] and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship,[146] except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.[147]

greenbaggins · #14 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:58 PM

I think you have in mind a very secular type of birthday celebration, where the idea is to have as many presents (i.e., greed) as possible. However, if the celebration consisted of no more than giving praise to God for His preservation of life (which is what a birthday really should be anyway, besides the celebration of life), there can be no objection. Gifts in and of themselves are surely not objectionable either. Such a celebration should not look like what we normally think of as a birthday party, I grant you. But surely what I have outlined above cannot be objectionable.

Sonoftheday · #15 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 03:58 PM

I think one major difference between a fellowship meal and a Birthday party is the Party is held in honor of an individual. The individual is the center of attention. The child is given gifts, a song is sang to them, and a cake is given to them. This is why I have no problem having friends over for a meal after church, but would not have those same friends over for a birthday party on the Lord's Day.