Origin of Sunday Worship
How did Sunday become established as the day of worship for Christians? The early Christian community was very deeply connected to Judaism and its culture. The early church community continued its meetings within the tradition of Judaism, but after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, it began to prepare a new turning point for the meetings. Christians began to gather to commemorate the Lord's resurrection, and they record that day as the first day of the week. In the New Testament, we can find records of early Christians having meetings on Sunday in three texts. Paul and his group, who gathered in Troas for worship on the first day of the week, preached until late at night even after spending Sunday. The Bible records that they gathered "to break bread" (Acts 20:7-12). 'On the first day of every week' (1 Corinthians 16:2) and 'the Lord's Day' (Revelation 1:10) were all meanings of Sunday recorded in the Bible. Basically, efforts were made to distinguish it from the Sabbath in its concept and practice.
Early Jewish Christians kept Sunday as the Sabbath according to Jewish tradition, and that Sunday would have been the concept of a Sabbath with a strong eschatological character. However, Gentile Christians under the influence of Paul were free from Jewish law and had no obligation to keep the Sabbath, so there was no problem at all in moving the day for worship from the Sabbath to Sunday. Especially since the meal Jesus had with his disciples after the resurrection seems to have taken place on the first day of the week, they keep Sunday as the Lord's Day. The Eucharist, which was located at the center of Christian meetings, would have moved from Saturday evening to Sunday evening in the early days, and then naturally moved to Sunday morning. The early church kept Sunday holy as a day of worship, and the term 'Sunday Observance' comes from here.
There were several principles in their keeping of Sunday, and according to the insight of Marva J. Dawn, the first was the dimension of ceasing. This was not just the cessation of work itself. Marva Dawn said it includes "ceasing the need for achievement and production, ceasing the anxiety and tension caused by the standards of success required by modern society, ceasing possessiveness and culture, and ceasing the monotony and meaninglessness that arise when living without placing God at the center of life." Ceasing Work is to serve and worship God, and it includes stopping worry, anxiety, tension, and greed.
Second is the dimension of resting. Rest was God's created order and what He deeply desired. Sunday is a day to lay down all labor for worship and enjoy true rest and spiritual rest in the Lord. The Hebrew word 'Menuha', meaning 'rest', is a word that goes far beyond dimensions like freedom from the tension of work and life, and it has a much more active meaning than the passive and negative dimension of not doing something. This is a dimension encountered on the way to follow the guidance of the One who is the owner of our lives. So Psalm 23 connects to the dimension tasted when in God's peace and His arms by using 'Menuhot' (plural construct of Menuha) in the expression "quiet waters".
Third is embracing. A more active attitude to keep Sunday is to respond to God's grace and be fully immersed in it, and to share it with the world. In other words, it should appear as a decision and life practice to carry out what He wants.
Fourth is feasting. Saints complete Sunday by concluding with worship that blesses with emotion for God's amazing history of salvation and grace. It is recommended that worship should be filled with celebration and emotion, not with an attitude of killing time or rigid rituals and stiffness.
If there is the biggest commonality between the early church and the modern church, it is that both eras are communities gathering around worship, and this focuses on gathering together to worship on the Lord's Day commemorating the Lord's resurrection. Christianity started with worship and kept its identity through worship, and it is a meeting that worships today. Especially through worshiping together on Sunday, we experience the means of grace to become "those who are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" like the Apostle Paul's confession. Through worshiping together on Sunday, we sinners experience liberation from sin. Through praise, prayer, word, offering, and decision, we confirm that we are under God's grace. However, unfortunately, we often witness the modern worship community not fully experiencing the essential meaning of worshiping together on Sunday.
Strengthening Sunday Worship
Sunday worship must be public. The time and space where the church community can gather most publicly is Sunday worship. Although the church community can have many meetings and programs to solidify community spirit, the clearest thing that reveals the community nature of the church is worship, and this is Sunday worship. The church reveals what kind of church it is through Sunday worship. The mission of the church is proclaimed through worship, and the church's past history, today's prayer topics, and future missionary mission all appear through worship. Even if there are church members who cannot worship every Sunday, Sunday worship is a time and space that gives peace, comfort, and recovery like a hometown they can always return to.
Nevertheless, there is concern that modern worship is becoming excessively personalized. A Sunday worship community for only some classes or special people cannot be a healthy worship community. Sunday worship must be prioritized in everything of the church. People who live their daily lives as Christians just by attending Sunday worship once a week account for a significant number of church members, and it is concerning that the number of saints participating in weekday worship or meetings is decreasing compared to the past. Facing this reality, can simply emphasizing Sunday worship participation to saints and encouraging faith life during the week deepen their spirituality? Of course it can, but realistically it is not easy. Rather, the Sunday worship they participate in and offer should be strengthened. So we must focus on Sunday worship so that spirituality can be maintained and deepened even through worship gathering for one day.
Last year, I set the church motto as "A Church That Worships Better." I am distributing faith confirmation cards to saints and editing and sharing Sunday worship sermons as "3-minute words that change life." I am making efforts so that Sunday worship can fulfill the role of the heart of the church. I devote a lot of time and effort to Sunday sermons. I am focusing on worship so that spiritual blood transfusion can take place through worship. Due to Corona, all ministries of the church are suspended. So I am focusing on Sunday worship thinking that it should replace various ministries.