52 SUNDAYS: Do We Need Sundays?

This year we're challenging our members and regular attenders to attend a church service every week in 2014. You can read more about the 52 SUNDAYS challenge here. This article is part of a series of articles about 52 SUNDAYS.

Do we need Sundays?

As with the last question "Why Sundays?", this one yields a helpful perspective if you look at the issue from another angle.

Could we survive on 2 Saturdays?

Imagine our weekends consisted of two Saturdays rather than a Saturday and a Sunday. Two days away from the work and routines of our weekdays, but with no particular time devoted to worship and rest.

And don't get hung up on the days of the week...I know some of you work on Saturdays. Just substitute your day for "Saturdays."

What would be so bad about 2 Saturdays?

Isn't that what the rest of the world does anyways? FYI...they don't. At least not most of them. Not historically and not now. Check your inbox. Who emailed you on their "day off"?

But anyways. What would be so bad about double Saturdays? Saturdays are awesome!

Here's a short list of reasons why we need Sundays:

• Sundays promote spiritual growth. The Reformers called this the ordinary means of grace.
• Sundays please God. What if you could do something every week that God enjoyed?
• Sundays promote relationships. Skipping church accomplishes the opposite.
• Sundays promote our witness. The world sees us when we gather publicly.
• Sundays promote member-to-member ministry. (Colossians 3:12-16)
• Sundays are a safeguard for those struggling with faith. (Hebrews 10:25)
• Sundays remind us that God rested and that we will one day fully, truly, rest too. (Hebrews 4ff.)

Look at that list. It's not even a complete list. Be honest with yourself. The answer is no. You can't survive on 2 Saturdays a week. 

You weren't made to live this way. You might be able to do it for a season and not see any negative effects. You might even be able to live most or all of you life this way and not notice. But you'd be missing out. Trust God's Word.

You don't know what you don't know.

The practice of Sundays (a day of worship and rest) is better than two days of household chores, recreation, and sleeping in. And the proof is in heaven.