Sunday

Keeping the Sabbath: a lost art. I was brought up to go to church every Sunday. And to put my tithe into the offering plate. When I was a kid, it was 10 cents in the little offering envelope. I never questioned any of that. It was just what we did. The Sabbath has a rich history--I have much to learn about traditions and rituals associated with this day. But one thing has remained consistent for me through the years--that it is a day of rest, reflection and re-grouping for the week to come. In the Deep South, the stores were closed on Sunday. The only store I remember going to on Sunday was the donut shop. Later on, the stores were closed in the morning and opened up after lunch. And of course now, stores open at their regular time. Chik-Fil-A is one exception to this modern approach to the Sabbath--their owner is a Christian and chooses to run his business according to Biblical principles. The money he could make by staying open on Sundays--just think of all the fried chicken dinners he could sell!--runs second to his religious traditions. At any rate, taking time to relax at least one day a week has its roots in a tradition that is thousands of years old. Perhaps we could all do better than just putting our feet up on the couch and turning on the tv--maybe a little tradition should make its way back into everyday life. Maybe the Sabbath should be "kept holy."