Minister: 'A sad day for Newbuildings'

Sir,

It was a sad day for Newbuildings when Supervalu recently began opening on Sundays.

The store is to be congratulated for remaining closed up until now but it is saddening for Christians in the village to see the step they have now taken.

Such a move is a further attack on the Christian Sabbath. The command to keep the Sabbath appears time and again in the pages of scripture, most notably in Exodus 20 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work." Unfortunately, there are other shops in Newbuildings that open on Sundays.

They are just as guilty as Supervalu. My advice to the local people would be - stay away from these establishments on Sundays until they get to the stage where it is no longer financially viable for them to stay open on the Sabbath. In today's world it is hard to find a grocery store that shuts on a Sunday.

If any Sentinel reader knows of such a store I would be very interested to know so that I could give them my support. The Sabbath is a vital institution. D L Moody said "No nation has ever prospered that has trampled the Sabbath in the dust. Show me a nation that has done this and I will show you a nation that has got in it the seeds of ruin and decay."

T DeWitt Talmage said "Our bodies are seven-day clocks and they need to be wound up, and if they are not wound up they run down into the grave. No man can continuously break the Sabbath and keep his physical and mental health." Their words still ring true today.

But above all, let us remember the words of Christ in Mark 2 "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."

The Sabbath was given to us by a loving God for the benefit of our physical, mental and spiritual health.

Why is there so much depression around today? Why so much stress?

One of the reasons is because Sundays have not been used the way God intended. Let's keep Sunday special.

A Sabbath well spent

Brings a week of content

And health for the toils of the morrow;

But a Sabbath profaned

Whate'er may be gained

Is a certain forerunner of sorrow.

Rev Jonathan Campbell

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