Yesterday was Sunday. I worshiped the Lord in my home church in Texas. As I did so, I was struck with the reminder that we were joining other Christians all around the world. No matter where we live, we are all part of one family. That family has a special bond on Sunday. Our spirits are joined together in praise to our God.
Since my husband and I travel all over the world in our ministry, we are often in a different place on Sundays. I might worship in America one Sunday, Cuba the next, France the next or Poland, Germany, China, Africa or Austria after that. Wherever we go, I have a sense of belonging. Even when I can't speak the language or totally understand the sermon, I feel the Spirit.
The First Day of the Week?
If you have ever traveled internationally, you know that there are differences in the way countries mark their dates and times. If you observe local calendars or need to date a local document, you must check to see what standard is used. The date is written differently across the world. The International Organization for Standardization would use 2011-08-01 for today's date. Europeans would write it as 01-08-2011 while 08-01-2011 is the American usage.
There are, of course, many other differences in noting time. While many countries use a 24 hour clock, there are several that use a 12 hour clock. Among those that use the 12 hour clock, the military, aviation and some other industries of those countries use the 24 hour clock to avoid confusion.
Many European countries do not count Sunday as the first day of the week. They follow ISO 8601, set in 1988 by the International Organization for Standardization, which marks Monday as the first day of the week.
Most Christians today observe the day of worship on Sunday and regard it as the first day of the week. They will often tell you if, for some reason, they cannot worship on Sunday, their week does not start off right. Of course, we should worship Jesus all during the week. There is something about corporate worship, however, that energizes the soul.
No matter how one tells time or marks their weekly calendar, across the time zones of the world, there are gatherings to worship Christ and thank Him for the wonderful gift of His salvation. His Spirit joins us together. I have been privileged to worship Him with people from many nations. It gives me a little taste of what eternity will be like when every knee will bow before Him.
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb (Matthew 28:1). Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week. . . Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:19). Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul. . . spoke to them and continued his message until midnight (Acts 20:7).
About Me
- Stephanie B. Blake
- As I speak internationally to English speakers as well as through an interpreter, some of my greatest joys have been speaking to groups where participation from the audience is possible. Not only do I value the input of those in my conferences, but if they are actively involved (share testimonies, participate in prayer, read Scripture aloud), it is obvious that everyone is with me. I am interested in theological study, Christian writing, historical application of Biblical principles as well as writing as a craft and the current status of the publishing industry as a whole. As a result, I find myself following blogs of those whom I have learned to trust who contribute information in those fields. It occurred to me that blogs are the internet equivalent of audience participation in a conference setting. So, this blog is a result of that discovery. As much as possible (sometimes when I travel I do not have internet access), I will be making weekly posts of how everyday life is related to what God has revealed about Himself in His Word - maintaining one focus on that most important relationship. I would welcome your participation.
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