Lunch on the Lord's Day

Based on the scenario given, would you eat the fried chicken?

  • Yes

    Votes: 28 62.2%
  • No

    Votes: 11 24.4%
  • Depends...

    Votes: 6 13.3%

  • Total voters
    45
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I don't know of a single Sabbatarian anywhere who thinks you cannot put gas in your car on the Sabbath. In my experience the caricatures of Sabbatarians always involve extrapolations to the absurd.
 
But, and this highlights part of the problem here, if everyone, without knowing the circumstances, abstained, the bringer of such food--recall my single guy scenario--would have none of his food eaten. This appears to be, as I said earlier, churlish.

If he inquired and someone said, "Well, no one wants to eat your Sabbath-bought chicken," he might protest, "but I bought this last night," or he might say, "is that wrong?" or even "I feel as if I have no other options." He might say, "why didn't somebody tell me instead of just not eating the chicken?" And if the response is "someone will eat it," is it not possible that you really mean "some soul who doesn't know better will eat it?" If you think that it's not right for you to eat it, don't you think that others shouldn't? Are you not tempted to look down at those who do? How might Chaplain Ben's blogpost on Christian maturity apply here?

Peace,
Alan
 
I don't know of a single Sabbatarian anywhere who thinks you cannot put gas in your car on the Sabbath. In my experience the caricatures of Sabbatarians always involve extrapolations to the absurd.

I was just making a point. However, one must consider how habitually filling up your gas tank on the Lord's Day would not be wrong and purchasing a bucket of Popeye's chicken once a month would be. :detective:
 
But, and this highlights part of the problem here, if everyone, without knowing the circumstances, abstained, the bringer of such food--recall my single guy scenario--would have none of his food eaten. This appears to be, as I said earlier, churlish.

If he inquired and someone said, "Well, no one wants to eat your Sabbath-bought chicken," he might protest, "but I bought this last night," or he might say, "is that wrong?" or even "I feel as if I have no other options." He might say, "why didn't somebody tell me instead of just not eating the chicken?" And if the response is "someone will eat it," is it not possible that you really mean "some soul who doesn't know better will eat it?" If you think that it's not right for you to eat it, don't you think that others shouldn't? Are you not tempted to look down at those who do? How might Chaplain Ben's blogpost on Christian maturity apply here?

Peace,
Alan

Pastor, you are making some very good points here.

Let me relate an even more difficult situation. I was once invited to Lord's Day lunch at the home of another single man - just him and me. I was happy to accept the invitation, being quite fond of my Christian brother. However, once we arrived at his home, I discovered that he intended to order pizza for us. He had not prepared any other food.

I can't exactly remember the precise turn of events, but I remember telling him my beliefs on the matter (and that of the congregation, it being confessional). Pizza was not ordered, but I believe he went to the store for some simple food staples, an action that I didn't scrutinize or pursue. I said, "perhaps you haven't considered this before...well, what you now need to do is to search the scriptures to see if what I am saying is Biblical". He said he would. It was a very amiable conversation, with no hard feelings on either side.
 
With all due respect, this is exactly why I could never live up North! Brother, their spicy chicken is delicious!

I know what you mean that is why I never moved due to the lack of quality food. I never found a city that had good food as Buffalo has.
 
Alan, That could happen I guess if everyone in the church were strictly confessional on observing the Lord's day; and if this situation did come up there would be far better ways to deal with it to cut off the perceived snub, which I'm sure there would be prior to the food getting put out or the single guy declaring he was running out to get the food. I would hope so.
 
My first response to this question was one of "whose authority?"

No one else seems to be addressing this, so perhaps my response is off base.

To plow on, there are different views about how the Lord's Day is to be kept holy. Certainly may believe that you should not go to a restaurant on the Lord's Day, unless there are some terrible extreme circumstances coming into play.

But this is a church pot luck, so, it seems to me, the elders should be in charge of policies about what is ok and what is not?

Therefore should we not go to our elders about it if we are offended by one thing or another, rather than abstaining or confronting? Then the elders could decide if they must have a policy, what it should be, how it should be enforced, etc.
 
I would point at the food, gasp, and pass out on the floor :)

Wisdom is needed to gently teach people where the norms of our culture are wrong. If you get to know these folks, you may find even higher priorities.
 
I think that the chicken should probably be eaten before it spoils, because else it lived and died just to rot :-( ?
 
I think some of the answers here are pharisaical as well. I think we would get better results if we are more like Christ and not the police. Im so unlike Christ which is why I so desperatly need Him and His merits. From my experience when I patiently teach other Christians about the Sabbath they are more accepting of it versus when I am tempted to be the 1689 police. I'm not sure about others here but God has been very patient with me with The Lords Day, so we should extend that same patience to others.
 
Brothers:

If someone contributes food in this manner to one of our fellowship meals, I think that it is misguided, if not close to churlish, to refuse to eat it. Someone spiritual might speak gently to the brother (Galatians 6:1). But think about it: this brother has bought and brought the food to contribute to the joy and to do his part in the fellowship meal. We should suppose that the brother is well-meaning, though misguided: he is either ignorant about what he is doing or he is as yet unpersuaded that such is not what he should be doing. The way to handle it, however, is not to refuse to eat the good brother's contribution.

Peace,
Alan

Amen
 
[Moderator]
Charges of legalism or pharisaism are out of bounds. They do nothing to clarify the matter or assist your brethren.

The original poster should be able to ask how best to handle a situation where his conscience is not clear without having to face hurtful accusations. It would seem that it should be possible to inculcate gentleness and patience towards those not yet thoroughly grounded in the observance of the 4th Commandment without falling into harshness and impatience towards those wondering or explaining how to apply the 4th Commandment in a given situation.

[/Moderator]
 
I concur with Alan; the food should be accepted with thankfulness and enjoyed. The one who is more spiritual in this area should look after the welfare of the brother who may be in error. After all, the intention would be to influence your brother for good. I am thankful for the patient instruction of those who were more mature in their faith. Had they hit me with a spiritually blunt object, there is no telling home much damage that would have done to my spirit.
 
I don't know of a single Sabbatarian anywhere who thinks you cannot put gas in your car on the Sabbath. In my experience the caricatures of Sabbatarians always involve extrapolations to the absurd.

I was just making a point. However, one must consider how habitually filling up your gas tank on the Lord's Day would not be wrong and purchasing a bucket of Popeye's chicken once a month would be. :detective:

Thank you!
 
Thank you Ruben for your interjection. I'm not sure why so many think the only way to obey one's conscience in abstaining from the chicken would be to do it in a rude or hurtful manner. As I mentioned previously, I wasn't planning on even bringing it up to anyone at my church; I was simply asking for some thoughts to help work through my own convictions. Thank you to those who've assisted me in this area.
 
Given everything that has been said, I take back my comment about not eating the chicken. I would eat it. Especially if it came with bacon. God has really been patient with me about the Lord's Day. I didn't see the fourth commandment as binding until about three years ago and I have been save for eight years. Wow. eight years. I feel like I should be more sanctified by now. Anyway, I probably wouldn't approach the violator. That seems more like a job for an elder than a congregant. But if I had a clear opportunity, I might strike up a conversation.
 
I don't know of a single Sabbatarian anywhere who thinks you cannot put gas in your car on the Sabbath. In my experience the caricatures of Sabbatarians always involve extrapolations to the absurd.

Ben, I could introduce you to several that hold exactly that view.
 
Absolutely, there is a philosophy that you should gas up during the previous six days. If gassing up is necessary for your attendance on the Lord's Day or your return home, or for a work of necessity etc., they'd say do it, but the sin would lie in your failure to prepare.
 
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I don't know of a single Sabbatarian anywhere who thinks you cannot put gas in your car on the Sabbath. In my experience the caricatures of Sabbatarians always involve extrapolations to the absurd.

I have had someone (someone from NJ) suggest that a travelling missionary ought to put tanks of gas in their trunk and make sure to fill up on Saturday and use those tanks in the trunk so as to not violate the Sabbath as they travel church to church.
 
Anyway, I probably wouldn't approach the violator. That seems more like a job for an elder than a congregant.
Yes. I'm personally convicted about many things that some in our congregation are not. Chicken still in its retail packaging seems clearer to me than other scenarios, and I'd likely abstain. I see no need to speak to them of it, as I'm not in a leadership position.
 
I would urge greater care than some posts suggest.

As has been noted here, the food may have been bought Saturday evening. Imagine this scenario: I'm a single guy and I grab some chicken on Saturday night for my evening meal. Knowing that there's a Sunday fellowship dinner at church, I get extra as my contribution (I've been told as a single guy not to worry about it by the Smith's, who always bring plenty, but I would like to make my own contribution). This means that anybody who wishes to speak to this guy should know what's going on. And who will this be? Who are the ones who should thus investigate? I am not saying that only elders may, but I am saying that this should all be handled carefully in any circumstances.

The original poster has come back and told us that he's really only asking because he wants to know whether he ought to eat the food or not. Well, brother, a poll of PB members is not the way to determine that. Rather, Romans 14:23 is. I could eat without conscience issues, but if you can't, you shouldn't.

Not to play devil's advocate here, but would it not behoove the young man bringing the boughten chicken to a confessional church pot luck to write on the lid (right next to the colonel's head so it looks like he's saying it) "Don't worry, I was bought on Saturday!" It would assuage the conscience of the brethren who may otherwise be offended/concerned. If I was bringing it to my church's pot luck, I would certainly do that; I know of too many who would be concerned for my view of the Lord's Day not to, and thereby break the law of love that I am supposed to observe. Yes, an over-reaction would be a poor witness, but unless the act is done in complete ignorance, bringing UFO chicken (unidentified fried objects) would likewise be care-less towards the brethren on the part of the young man.
 
Obviously my good brethren need to get to Memphis, TN and dine at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken! My heart aches that none of you have ever eaten real fried chicken.
 
[Moderator]
Charges of legalism or pharisaism are out of bounds. They do nothing to clarify the matter or assist your brethren.

The original poster should be able to ask how best to handle a situation where his conscience is not clear without having to face hurtful accusations. It would seem that it should be possible to inculcate gentleness and patience towards those not yet thoroughly grounded in the observance of the 4th Commandment without falling into harshness and impatience towards those wondering or explaining how to apply the 4th Commandment in a given situation.

[/Moderator]

One of the downsides to texting, Facebook, and online forums is that your tone in what you are trying to communicate is not being weighed. There has been many times when someone has texted me or commented on something I have said and I took offense even though the other person had good intentions. I think someone's tone should be considered after a comment is made being that the Sabbath is a topic that really sets people off.
 
Tyrese, without in any way trying to escalate this issue, you did use the word "pharisaism". Unless you really did mean to say that someone was being pharisaical, it is best to avoid the word entirely because to mention such a thing is very serious indeed. Those who advocate a strict view of the Sabbath are all too familiar with this word popping up in conversations regarding the 4th Commandment and it is most frustrating. I don't see how tone would make it any more or less appropriate.
 
Tyrese, without in any way trying to escalate this issue, you did use the word "pharisaism". Unless you really did mean to say that someone was being pharisaical, it is best to avoid the word entirely because to mention such a thing is very serious indeed. Those who advocate a strict view of the Sabbath are all too familiar with this word popping up in conversations regarding the 4th Commandment and it is most frustrating. I don't see how tone would make it any more or less appropriate.

Hey Tim thanks for your comment. I do apologize for saying pharisaical. I've only been in a Church that holds to the Sabbath for 2 years and I was unaware of this being a familiar word to use to tear down rather than to help. Lesson learned.
 
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