WHAT DO YOU DO ON THE HOLY DAY CALLED SUNDAY?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.

Genesis 2:1-3

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

This past week, I celebrated my 65th birthday and am so grateful for the Lord’s goodness and grace that has brought me this far. And since I have lived a good long while, I will share with you that there was a time when Sunday was treated as sacred.

There were no stores open on Sunday and in many places, it was illegal to sell alcohol on that day. It was also taboo for things to be scheduled that would interfere with the church and attending, like youth sports events for example that seem to be all the rage here in the 21st century.

So what did people used to do on Sundays?

Well, given that the day was honored as a holy day, you were the exception and not the norm if you failed to go to church. On Sunday morning, entire families got up together, dressed nicely as to honor the Lord, and went to church together. Then they would go home afterwards and enjoy time together because this was what people did. In fact, every Sunday evening, there was specific family-oriented programming on all the major networks from 7 to 9PM, programming that parents and kids would enjoy together because in homes back in that day, there was only one television. I particularly remember us watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and The Wonderful World of Disney in our household.

So back in the days of my childhood, Sunday was a day when church was a priority, a day reserved for worship and then relaxation. It was a day to wind down from the week’s labors, invest in quality family time, and recharge oneself for the week ahead.

Obviously, things have changed a great deal for in these times, Sunday is largely treated just any other day. Stores are open for shopping, restaurants are open for dining, and movie theaters are open so you can catch the latest flicks. In fact, there’s not much that isn’t available to be done on Sunday. To this, add in the fact that the aforementioned youth sports seem to have found a home on Sundays and you now have kids being shuttled around by their parents so they can participate with games being held at all times, including the hours that people attend church. It’s to the point where the church has to compete with everything else that Sunday offers and the church is having a very tough time winning the battle.

Consider that in the 1970’s, more than 70% of people in America said they belonged to a church. By the year 2020, that number had plummeted to 45% and presently in 2025, polls indicate that only 20 percent of Americans attend church weekly.

Now, ask yourself why we see our country in such a state of moral decline. As has been true through the ages, a godless nation will behave in ungodly ways.

You know, I can’t help but wonder what God thinks as He looks down on what we have done to His Sabbath day, the day that He declared hallowed, the day that even He found time to rest from His previous six days of creation labor. I’m sure His anger is stoked as He bristles at the blatant disrespect and dishonor reflected in how people treat Sundays.

Indeed, the seventh day that He made holy is treated far from it by most for Satan has done a masterful job to distract people from the true purpose of the Sabbath. And unfortunately, 80 percent of the people today have fallen for it…hook, line, and sinker. So while we read in our scripture passage that God rested on the seventh day, we can’t seem to be on the go enough. By God’s own words, He sanctified the seventh day because He rested. Sadly, too many people choose to desecrate it because they refuse to rest.

So the question is, “What do you do on the holy day called Sunday?”

If the answer is anything but dedicating the day to worshiping the Lord and resting as He did, then it’s time to self examine yourself and choose to make immediate corrections. I challenge and encourage you to get back to basics, back to the time when church was the only thing acceptable on Sunday, back to the seventh day of creation when God rested after His creation work was complete.

This is His will for us and it’s time to be obedient to that will.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.