Why do Christians Worship on a Sunday?

In the Jewish tradition from which Christianity sprang the Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) is a day set aside from all work. The fourth of the Ten Commandments links this to God's resting on the seventh day of creation. Time is also seen as a gift from God and, in acknowledgement of that fact, one day in the week is set aside to represent the whole, and is thus offered back to God (the same principle as tithing). These concepts had a strong influence on Christian practice, but, from- the earliest days of the Church, Christians chose instead to gather together on a Sunday, in commemoration of the Lord's resurrection from the dead (Acts chp 20 vs 7). Meeting every Sunday thus became a celebration of Easter on the first day of every week. At first gatherings had to take place at the beginning or end of the working day, only with the conversion of the Emperor Constantine and the legitimisation of Christianity . did Sunday become a public holiday, and the cornerstone of the Christian calendar.

Over the centuries attitudes towards observing Sunday as a day of rest have changed significantly. In the Puritan period the idea that Sunday should be treated as a Jewish Sabbath (i.e. a day . free from all work ' and profane recreation) ' came to the fore, to the . extent that they were prepared to teach that playing: games on the Sabbath was a greater sin than murder! This view of "the Sabbath" continued for centuries and was strongly held during the Victorian period in particular. Within the last century the ancient religious idea of a day free for prayer once a week has become more difficult to maintain Modem industrial practices and changes in lifestyles or family relationships have all taken their toll and it is now possible to shop, play sport, even gamble, on Sundays. You may wish to discuss with your pupils their own ideas about how Sunday should be kept.