My sister used to live in Zeeland, Michigan. One of the first things she noticed when she started living there was that people do not mow their lawns on Sundays in Zeeland. One Sunday afternoon, when her husband was mowing the lawn, he noticed that he was getting mean looks from his neighbors. When he waved at them and smiled and said, “How are you doing?”, he received only cold stares back. 

In some communities, when people see or hear you mowing your lawn on Sunday, they think you are saying, “I am not a Christian” or “I don’t care about your Christian practice of sabbath.”

For many years, in many communities, one of the main things that set people apart as Christians was that they did not do the things that everyone else did on Sundays. No going to restaurants or grocery stores. Definitely not doing yard work. And for some, not even watching television or playing outside.

Today, our practice of sabbath looks different. God wants us to discern how we practice sabbath together. It may not look the same of each of our families, but what is most important is that we are practicing sabbath.  Pray that God would help you see the ways that you are set apart, and what God wants that to look like in your life.

Question to Ponder: What are some things we do (and don’t do) that communicate to others that we are set apart by God?
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This week’s devotions are adapted from the book,  The Ten Commandments by J. Douma. English translation by Neil D. Kloosterman. P & R Publishing. Phillipsburg, 1996.