I'm new to the idea of the sabbath (recovering new covenanter). I agree that scripture commands it in the new covenant. How do I prepare for it and how do I keep it? and any book reccomendations are appreciated. merci

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Joseph P. Grigoletti II
Lay-person
Église Réformée du Québec
Québec, Québec Canada

''Nothing is so sacred that Satan will not invade it. In fact, the more sacred something is, the more he desires to profane it.''
John MacArthur

Keeping the sabbath is part of the fabric of your whole life. Seeing it as the highlight of your week means using your time wisely on the other six days to keep to a minimum the necessities that would detract from giving the whole day to God. Also, the worship done the other six days of the week will naturally spill over onto Sunday.

From a practical viewpoint, my kids are used to hearing me talk about specific sabbath preparations on Saturday -- having Sunday dinner mostly prepared (I have 101 make-ahead tricks if anyone is interested), having the little kids' clothes out (and BOTH shoes found ahead ), and giving the house a final clean.

I think it is important too, to remember the "stranger that is within your gates," a reference, I believe, to the fact that we are not to make others work in support of our sabbath, even if their beliefs are different from our own ("strangers"). We don't go to places of business, get a newspaper delivered, etc.

Books on the subject? I'm not sure. The WCF gives a good overview.

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JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia

ok but what about transportation. I don't have a car and I live in quebec city so I need to use a bus to get to church. The bus driver works on the sabbath and the only reformed church is about 15 + miles away (by bus it is 35 minutes). So what is the reformed consensus?

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Joseph P. Grigoletti II
Lay-person
Église Réformée du Québec
Québec, Québec Canada

''Nothing is so sacred that Satan will not invade it. In fact, the more sacred something is, the more he desires to profane it.''
John MacArthur

Take the bus. Imposing extra-Biblical rules on the Lord's Day starts you on the path to legalism at the least, and Pharisaical hypocrisy at the worst. I'm not saying the Lord's Day shouldn't be honored and observed, but it is intended to be a freeing gift, not am imposing burden...

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Mason
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA)
New York, NY

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." - Isaiah 1:18

I would go with the bus too. It could be argued that the bus system is necessary for the Sunday. I know of a good number of folks who wouldn't be able to attend church without it.

BTW, do you go to St-Marc?

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Wes Bredenhof
Co-pastor, Langley Canadian Reformed Church
Langley, British Columbia
www.bredenhof.ca

I was wondering how to say that, Mason -- the principle is certainly there (to avoid making others work) but to start lists of "you can do this, but you can't do that" gets you into legalism in a hurry. And certainly, the over-riding principle here would be to worship God. And we should certainly view having this day as a precious gift in this 24-7 world.

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JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia

I do go to St. Marc. Do you know Pastor Bernard Westerweld?

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Joseph P. Grigoletti II
Lay-person
Église Réformée du Québec
Québec, Québec Canada

''Nothing is so sacred that Satan will not invade it. In fact, the more sacred something is, the more he desires to profane it.''
John MacArthur

Yes, I led a short-term mission team from my church to Quebec City this past January. We did an English Cafe and an English conversation evening. We're planning on arranging another trip for next January, though I probably won't be leading it.

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Wes Bredenhof
Co-pastor, Langley Canadian Reformed Church
Langley, British Columbia
www.bredenhof.ca

A sabbath book I like is Pipa's _The Lord's Day._

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BJ Mora
Grace OPC, Modesto, CA
Reformed & Presbyterian Churches & Denominations in North America

very good! I hope you can come it would be nice to meet someone inperson from the Board.

When thing I would love to see is a bilingual Reformed Canadian conference to start up that is somewhat like T4G only bilingual and Canadian (with poutine and double doubles) exist here before I leave.

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Joseph P. Grigoletti II
Lay-person
Église Réformée du Québec
Québec, Québec Canada

''Nothing is so sacred that Satan will not invade it. In fact, the more sacred something is, the more he desires to profane it.''
John MacArthur

I love poutine! We have it elsewhere in Canada (even here in BC), but not the varieties that you find in its birthplace. In January I tried poutine piquante in the food court at Place Laurier -- delicious!

As to a bilingual Conference, that would be something cool. Not sure how you would pull it off, though. Many of our Quebecois brothers would understand us Anglos, but it doesn't work the other way around. We study French in school, but most of us are not anywhere near fluent.

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Wes Bredenhof
Co-pastor, Langley Canadian Reformed Church
Langley, British Columbia
www.bredenhof.ca

Another book - Call the Sabbath a Delight by Walt Chantry

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Jonathan Hunt

Preaching Elder
Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church (Confessionally Based)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
-- Thomas Elsworth