SUNDAY

August 2025

"The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic."

July 2025

"The Sabbath Commandment is often called the "Hinge Commandment" because of the way it stands between and links commandments about the nature of God with commandments about relationships in society."

Visiting Scholar, Duke Divinity School

Along with the Commandment to honor your father and mother, the Sabbath Commandment commands us to do something when the other eight Commandments command us NOT to do something.

June 2025

"Make sure you take time to relax this summer. Embrace rest, boredom, quiet, and frivolous activities that make you smile. Take a nap, lie in the sunshine, read, think, and take care of yourself. It's summer. Slow down and rejuvenate your body, mind and soul."

May 2025

"The longer I live, the more highly do I estimate the importance of a proper observance of the Christian Sabbath, and the more grateful do I feel towards those who take the pains to impress a sense of this importance on the community."

April 2025

"Work should never get in the way of health."

March 2025

The 9th century Lenten hymn "Where Charity and Love Prevail" reminds us that during the Sundays in the liturgical season of Lent we are encouraged to do more acts of charity and recall what our Lord Jesus Christ says: "You shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." [ Matthew 22: 37-40 ]

February 2025

"Ninety percent of what we will do next week does not matter. It is our relationship to God that counts. The material world is in conflict with the spiritual world ... On the Sabbath we hope to exchange earthly rhythms with holy rhythms ... and not so much rest but cease our routine."

The Rev. Dr. Jason Brian Santos, pastor of Community Presbyterian Church, Lake City, CO which is in the most remote county of the lower U.S. 48. Jason is also considered an expert on the Taize community which in 2005 was the world's largest youth organization. Jason was a keynote presenter at the Crossings Sabbath Conference 19 - 22 January 2025 in St. Louis, MO.

January 2025

May God bless you richly, protect you from all harm, guide you, and give you the wisdom to take a meaningful restorative rest every seven days. On behalf of all the team at Sunday in North Carolina and Sunday Across America I wish you all the best in the New Year! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

"Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil."

Paraphrased from 1 Thessalonians 5 : 21 "Test everything; hold fast to what is good."

December 2024

"Be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget ... what you have seen ... Share your experiences with your children and with their children. If you want your children to observe the Sabbath commandment, you must do so by example. When it comes to Sabbath observance, parents have a huge responsibility. Parents can make Sunday a day the whole family looks forward to and create habits that last a lifetime."

Comments on Deuteronomy 4 : 9

November 2024

"Some of us choose to wear busy as a badge of honor ... We pack our schedule with too many commitments ... causing ... stress. Constant busyness leaves little time for rest or reflection. When we don't leave space for ourselves, we become overwhelmed, burnt out, and unable to fully enjoy the activities we have scheduled."

October 2024

In my part of the world, we are presently heavily involved with giving much-needed assistance to victims of Hurricane Helene, which hit about 80 miles from where I live. At this time, there are 232 confirmed dead and still over 600 persons unaccounted for. On top of this, Hurricane Milton is barrelling down upon the west coast of Florida, and those poor folk have not even had a chance to clean up the debris from Hurricane Helene!

The national and local news report how first responders, members of the National Guard, volunteer rescue workers, and news reporters are working 24/7, with some claiming only getting 3-4 hours of sleep dealing with these two natural disasters.

I appreciate all who are rendering assistance during this time of utter human suffering, but I also need to remind us all that fatigue can have similar effects to being under the influence of mind-altering substances. I beg all working during these terrible natural disasters to grab your time of rest and try hard to attend the many prayer and worship opportunities available in the areas where you are serving those so devastated with losing loved ones and all of their earthly possessions.

September 2024

"Slow down, catch your breath, and enjoy the present moment. It's very important that we learn how to rest."

Vietnamese Buddhist monk

As a Christian, I share this quote from a Buddist to illustrate how Sabbath-Rest is a universal ideal built into creation. Martin Luther King Jr nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace prize in 1967.

August 2024

Have you ever wondered why our calendars break up time into seven day weeks? In the Gregorian calendar, the 365- (or sometimes 366-) day year is determined by the 365.256 days it takes for the Earth to rotate once around the sun. Months were traditionally representative of the length of time it takes the moon to cycle through all of its phases, although the number and length of the months have been adjusted over time to fit more cleanly into the solar year. The seven-day week originated from the Babylonians. Each of the seven days represented an important astronomical object - the sun, the moon, and the five planets observable with the naked eye. The early Jews used this system as a symbol of the length of time it took for creation to occur according to Genesis, and it continues to serve as a reminder to rest every seven days.

Source and Further Reading: https://www.stneotsmuseum.org.uk/articles/a-history-of-time-the-story-behind-our-days-weeks-and-months/

July 2024

Rest is often the most used Sabbath gift and rest is an important part of self-care. Sabbath rest leads to physical and emotional well-being and helps manage work-related stress. Sabbath rest is increasingly more important in our modern fast-paced daily lives.

June 2024

"Sabbath Keeping is not just about Sunday Worship. Sabbath Keeping is a daily necessity. Sabbath Keeping is the gift of life that is at work within you. Every day we try to remember what God has done, recall what God is doing, and celebrate what God has promised yet to do for us and the world. Make a part of every day a Sabbath to the Lord."

May 2024

Try to take a walk in nature on your Sabbath - if it is not raining. Being outdoors on the Sabbath helps us appreciate the wonderful creation Almighty God has given us. A slow walk is a way to find rest, communing with creation and inner peace.

April 2024

[ Mark 16 : 1 ] When the Sabbath was over, the two Marys and Solome went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. The Sabbath was so respected by these women and the community that even an essential burial task had to be delayed. The Sabbath is a glorious day, but one that the world does not understand.

March 2024

"On the Sabbath we care for the seed of eternity planted in our soul."

February 2024

In Matthew 12 : 10 - 14, Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath. This 'work' on the Sabbath was criticized by the legalistic religious leaders. Here we quote Jesus: "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Matthew 12 : 12 (NIV)

January 2024

"A brand new year has begun. Intentionally work on slowing down, no, stop on the 24 hours each week you have determined to serve as your Sabbath. If you are living at home, choose a time when your family can be included. On that Sabbath Day "set aside your [routine] responsibilities; they will wait." Then take on the delightful responsibilities of rest, community service, worship, meditation, and building relationships with loved ones."

December 2023

"You don't think your way into a new kind of [Sabbath] living but live your way into a new kind of [Sabbath] thinking."

November 2023

Exhausted? Working in a daze? Is your mind somewhere else? Your fatigue affects many things. Try getting one full day of rest each week.

October 2023

"Ammiel Hirsch, a reformed rabbi, argues that the Sabbath Keeping commandment was 'a revolutionary concept' that 'changed human history,' because it is the first time a religious or political authority commanded rest instead of demanding work."

This article was brought to my attention by Priscilla Loring of Andover Massachusetts.

September 2023

As you heard a few weeks ago, I volunteered for four Sundays in August to pastor the American Church in Berlin, Germany. My first day in Berlin was on a Friday. I was reminded to 'Do all your grocery shopping tomorrow [which was a Saturday] because everything will be closed on Sunday.' I promised to give a brief report on what it was like to live in a culture where Sunday was respected as a 'Day of Rest.' It was a mixture of joy and getting used to it. The joy was that it was obvious that everybody seemed relaxed. Families were seen together on the sidewalks, in playgrounds, and just sitting outside their front doors, usually with relatives and neighbors. The 'getting used to' came while taking public transportation to get to church. All the buses, subways, trains, and trams were on the Sunday schedule. Nothing came 'every ten minutes'. The bus I usually took to travel to the church building came every ten minutes during the week and only every 25 - 30 minutes on Sunday. It was the same with the trains and subways. If you just missed a bus, train, or subway during the week, it was no sweat waiting 7 - 8 minutes for the next one. I learned quickly that one would need to check all public transportation schedules on Sunday if you did not have the time to spend a half hour at a bus stop or train platform. On three of the Sundays, I walked 40 minutes to the church building. When I walked or rode a bus during the week, I enjoyed seeing all the store windows displaying all their wares. On Sunday, all the store windows were closed by ugly, mostly graffiti-covered security shutters. It was depressing. At 0900 on Sunday, all the commercial real estate looked like it was midnight. Everything was locked down.

August 2023

Yesterday, Kim Purvis who lives in Berlin, Germany told me: 'Remember, Andy, everything will be closed on Sunday. Get whatever you need tomorrow.' For the next four weeks, I will be volunteering at a congregation in Berlin Germany. I will experience first hand what it is like to live in a culture which closes down all 'unnecessary' commercial enterprises on the Sabbath. Some restaurants will be legally allowed to open after 1600 hours and bakeries are allowed to open at 0600 as usual but need to close early. If a bakery has sit down tables with wait staff then they also need to be completely closed on Sunday. Their wait staff are to rest.

July 2023

Many travel tours can be exhausting. These include trying to keep up with tour guides, site visit schedules, dealing with jet lag, possible illness from new foods, and the rush to catch the needed transportation. I know. I was just on a 22 day tour of three European countries including eight cities. We need a Sabbath Day even on these 'vacations.'.

June 2023

When we are surrounded by the powerful beauty of God's creation and marvel at the miracles we experience in the forests, fields, and bodies of water, we find it so much easier to praise the Creator. Witnessing the new life in the spring and early summer appearing all around us gives a sense of renewal and wonder. Nature makes it easier to communicate with our Maker and to ask for spiritual healing and rest. It is far more difficult to experience the majesty of God when confined at our workplaces surrounded by electronic devices and agenda driven schedules. How about spending quality time in God's nature on the Sabbath? It just might feel more 'holy'.

May 2023

It is true that keeping Sunday a special and holy day requires some discipline and sacrifice. However, it is also true that keeping Sunday holy will lighten your stress and burdens and give you and your loved ones genuine peace and refreshment.

April 2023

"The Sabbath teaches us grace because it connects us experientially to the basic truth that nothing we do will earn God's love."

March 2023

"I interpret spiritual growth as a process where God mysteriously transforms our lives by reaffirming His love and our worth, refining our character, and sharpening our sense of purpose."

Former Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Navy

February 2023

At a clergy fellowship luncheon a few years ago, I remember a pastor in his 40s boasting: 'Except for a few vacations, I have not taken a day off in three years.' A well-seasoned pastor of a large congregation responded: 'Of the basic Ten Commandments, what others are you proud of breaking?' How many would never think it okay to murder, steal, or commit adultery but just ignore the Sabbath-Keeping Commandment? Pray to God to help you give equal attention to all Ten Commandments.

January 2023

It is really possible that you can learn more on a Sabbath Day during worship, meditation, Scripture reading, and community service than you can in a year from books. This concept germinated from page 185 of Rediscover Jesus, an Invitation by Matthew Kelly. May you experience 52 Sabbaths in 2023.

December 2022

Even thinking about work on your Sabbath is dishonoring the principle. In 2023, try not to plan your upcoming week or discuss professional, educational, or physical church matters on Sunday. Keep a good Advent and Merry Christmas!

November 2022

"Keeping Sabbath helps us to not get drawn into a 'work and spend' cycle, trapped into longer hours of work in a cycle of rising material expectations. ... Instead of identifying yourself by the work you do, why not identify yourself by the celebrations you observe?"

The Rev. Dr. Rodney L. Petersen, Ph.D. gave the Keynote Address to the attendees of a Sabbath-Keeping event at the Center United Methodist Church in Sanford, NC on Thursday evening 10 November 2022. In spite of the arrival of Tropical Storm Nicole, all the participants and another 20 attendees braved the dangerous driving conditions to hear Dr. Petersen.

October 2022

"[Leonardo daVinci] liked the rhythms of residing in a friary. The regularly scheduled prayers, meals, and bedtime provided a routine he hadn't experienced since he was a child growing up in rural Vinci, abiding by the cycles of nature. He had become so relaxed..."

September 2022

"According to labor historian Robert Haynes, the campaign for weekend and Sabbath was a part of an effort to enable wage earners to have the time to be mothers and fathers for their children and to cultivate themselves to be citizens of a democracy"

The Rev. Dr. Rodney L. Petersen will be the keynote speaker at an evening focusing on 'Sabbath-Keeping' on Thursday 10 November 2022 at the Center United Methodist Church, 4141 South Plank Road, Sanford, NC. For more information, call the church at 919-775-5748. You can also contact Chaplain Andrew E.V. Krey at chaplainkrey@gmail.com or text 912-441-4640.

August 2022

"As followers of Jesus, God does not expect us to live by Israel's laws. However, the wisdom ... of the law of the Sabbath is rich with significance for us today. Sabbath is not a law we are bound to; it's a promise we're invited to enjoy. Sabbath rest is an invitation to practice for eternity in God's presence. It is an act of regular and intentional trust of God's rule on earth. We sabbath in order to nuakh - when we stop working, we can only rest in God's presence. When we practice this purposeful pause, we make room for God to take up residence in our individual lives and communities. And when we do this, we take part in the new creation story, setting the stage for God to make His dwelling place again on Earth."

Missy is a missionary with TeachBeyond at the Black Forest Academy in Kandern, Germany, where she lives with her husband and two children.

July 2022

Summer has just begun, but our July Sabbath quote looks forward to autumn. Do you know why leaves change color in autumn?

"During the winter there isn't enough water or light for producing food, so the trees take a rest. As they do that, the green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves revealing bits of yellow and orange that have been there all along. We can't see these colors in the summer because they're covered up by the green. Isn't it interesting how bright and beautiful colors emerge only when productivity shuts down?"

June 2022

"A world without a Sabbath would be like a man without a smile, like a summer without flowers, and like a homestead without a garden."

May 2022

"As the sun touches the horizon, take the hand off the plow, put down the phone, let the pen rest on the paper, turn off the computer, leave the mop in the bucket and the car in the drive. There is no room for negotiation, no time to be seduced by the urgency of our responsibilities. ... The deep wisdom embedded in creation will take care of things for a while."