By Katherine Sheets, Managing Editor
Whether through past chapel speakers encouraging campus to sabbath not necessarily on Sunday, or Collegian articles advocating saying “no” to a busy schedule and resting more, Asbury has a history of honoring Sabbath observance. Most people on campus would agree that since God worked six days and rested for one, so should we. My problem is not that we observe the Sabbath, but how we observe it.
The ancient Israelite Sabbath began Friday night at sundown and continued through Saturday, while Americans traditionally uphold the Sabbath during Sunday. However, there was one particular chapel last semester that dealt with the importance of taking any full day of rest in general. The speaker described his Sabbaths starting with Tuesday morning pancakes with his son and relaxing all day. I considered it a wonder that his schedule was so flexible that he could take a random weekday and do nothing, but I also marveled at the idea of a non-traditional Sunday. God never says “Sabbath on the weekends,” after all. And then I remembered why I sabbath on Sunday: culture prevents me from doing otherwise.
In theory, students could register for classes in a way in which they have zero classes at least once a week and use this weekday as a Sabbath. But what happens if they’re a Media Comm major who needs to finish a project by Monday and can’t get into Miller on Sunday? What if they’re an athlete who rests on Monday and gets in their sixth weekly workout in on Sunday? What happens to the people who take the advice of spiritual leaders, choose to sabbath on a day other than Sunday, and get locked out of the buildings they need access to on Sundays? I can’t help but see the distortion between “it’s okay to rest on a day other than Sunday” and “all campus is locked to prevent working on Sundays.”
I personally have issues with Sunday lock-down because as a music major, I practice. And I mean a lot. But just because I’m in a practice room in McCreless doesn’t mean I’m working. Sometimes I just need to play my oboe to destress and unwind. It’s amazing how a session can go from practice to devotional in one sitting. Some of my closest moments with God have come while playing hymns on my instrument, and this is something that I truly enjoy doing during my Sabbath. Except that I have to go out of my way to plan this worship time.
If I’m resting on Sunday and suddenly get the urge to lift musical praises to my God, I can’t. Not unless I’ve either a) gotten special permission to be in the building and Switchboard lets me in or b) taken my instrument and music out of the lockers before the building closes on Saturday and planned to play in other venue, like the Salvation Army Student Center. I don’t believe I should have to plan my worship time so strictly. Coming from a culture that gathers to worship on Sunday, I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to play my instrument then, especially if it’s not “work” but praise. The problem becomes when I have to go out my way for permission to do so. I shouldn’t be required special permission to go worship. In the sixth chapter of Micah, the Lord goes off on the Israelites for their rule-following worship of burnt offerings and multitudes of sacrifices. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) There are no fancy requirements for worshipping God. There are no strings attached, no forms to sign and no permission needed.
I understand that people have to monitor said locked buildings, and the more buildings that are open on Sunday, the more people have to work on Sunday. But isn’t that the point of advocating the any-day kind of Sabbath? How can we say that Asbury is a campus that supports that kind of free-to-choose lifestyle if we restrict the choice to not choose Sunday? Of course people are going to Sabbath on Sunday if there’s nothing else to do and nowhere to go! The few buildings that are open (and have monitors working, not resting, mind you) are not conducive for athletes needing gym equipment, filmmakers editing b-roll or musicians requiring private space to practice, worship or just plain jam.
I’m calling for consistency. Don’t encourage a lifestyle you’re not willing to allow. If students really should be taking their Sabbath on Sunday, don’t let us believe we can choose another day and suffer the consequences when campus shuts down.
