On Sunday, I remember and believe

I think my favourite part of Sunday is that it is a day to remember and believe.

On Sunday, I don't remember or focus on my to-do list. Instead I put it aside for a day. In this, I am reminded that I am not capable of doing everything I want to (or feel I should do), I have a day to rest and recuperate without feeling guilty for not being productive, and, at the same time, I can rest in the assurance that I am not in charge of everything (this can be hard for overachievers and/or those of us who mismanage our time during the week).

And I believe. I confess that God is working in this world around me, and that I am not good enough (or wise enough) on my own. I go to church to remember that I am not alone (and not crazy) in believing this whole Christianity thing (cf. Stanley Hauerwas in the video "The System vs The Kingdom). Hauerwas also mentions that the act of worshipping God is so great that we cannot do it alone - we need others with us. I appreciate these thoughts: the complete otherness of God and his greatness, as well as how we ought to be joined by a community of believers to encourage each other. Through each other we can do/be more than what we individually can do/be.

Dorothy Bass in her book, Receiving the Day, argues that Christians today shouldn't shop on Sunday. It's not necessarily because we don't want others to work (a valid concern that I hear from more conservative folks) but, more so, because we need a day free from all the consumerism and coveting that's so much part of society today. We need a day to remember that God will provide for us - and even abundantly. I see Sunday thus as a day of giving and receiving, instead of consuming: a good day to participate in giving so that others might know God's provision better, but also a good day to celebrate the gifts we have, whether food, fellowship, friends, or family.

In remembering, my perspective on life shifts. Surrounded by other believers, worshipping comes naturally, and it becomes easier both to believe and to hope.