Sunday is the day of the sun. The names of each day of the week were given the Roman names of the planets and the sun. Because of the spread of an importance of Christianity, the day of the sun became the Lord's Day. Sol invictus ("unconquered sun") was the Roman sun god, and had its own cult which revived from the Latin cult of Sol - the solar deity of ancient Rome [See S. E. Hijmans, "The sun that did not rise in the east", Babesch 71 (1996) p.115–150].
In effect, to acclimate the Roman empire into Christianity after Constantine, the Catholic Church accepted pagan names as their own in naming the day of the Lord.
Look what Sunday has become, though! It is again the sun's day. If it is nice outside, the day belongs to the Lord, but if it is very nice, it's ownership is the sun's. That day becomes the day for golf, boating, the beach, or family get-togethers. Except for a slim amount of Sundays' the day belongs to the sun. It is only the Lord's Day when there is nothing better to do than go to church!
At one time the day belonged to me. Not that I am the sun but because the day didn't belong to the Lord. I was a weak Christian who appeased my own god before God in heaven. The Lord's Day is not enslaved by rules, such the Sabbath is, because the Sabbath was for the Jews (historical Book of Enoch). However, the Lord's day is for remembering the Lord, and not for pleasuring the self. Remembering the Lord can take many forms, but usually all those would be where you nor I are not the focal point.
Sure, we can worship the Lord on the golf course, but do we? That is your day. We can worship the Lord at the beach, but again, that is your day! You get the idea. Every Sunday is your day.
When I bought my ski boat I made a resolution: I will not miss church to boat. (I meant for Sunday morning or Sunday evening church). I only remember one time when I misjudged the time. Note that I could have boated on Saturday - my day, but chose the Lord's Day. My excuse was that I worked on all the other days. Even with good intentions I still didn't honor the Lord totally on His day because I pleasured myself at the lake.
Pleasuring myself is the reason that I did not honor God. From the time of Adam, pleasure is what separated man from God. Adam and Eve did what they wanted in their own eyes because the tree of which they ate brought pleasure. God, being a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) Who warned not to bow down to them. Essentially, that is doing things we wish, rather than God's will. That makes God jealous, not of idols of material but those of flesh and blood. If we use the Lord's Day for us rather than the Lord, believe it or not, God is jealous of us because we put ourselves first!
I have changed since my early days. I am a new creature changed by the Lord. Now, rather than looking forward to Sunday as my day, it is more the Lord's Day. I make a feeble attempt to keep it the Lord's Day by going to His house - the church to worship. The feebleness of this is still the time before and in-between. Right now, I am writing these thoughts on Sunday before church. I am tithing some time for God because I not only owe God the pecuniary but myself. In other words, Sunday is not my time, but belongs to the Lord. Where better to pay my dues than in His house where, if all are in accord, God reveals himself.
To be honest, many Sundays the Holy Spirit is there, but we can't detect Him because he is probably sitting in the back, so to speak, crying and praying for us. (I assume that God's Spirit prays because He is God's Power). Why? Because we are not in reverence to God nor in accord with one another. God knows the lack of love, even in the church, and shuns it. What are we to do? When in Church, whether it be God's House or our own, in His presence we are standing on Holy Ground (Exodus 3:5).
The place to be on the Lord's Day is standing on Holy Ground. His building should be the holiest of the holy in this day and age. That spot was where the priest was standing alone in the presence of God. Because Christians are of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), we can stand in the presence of the Lord in His Holy Place. In the patriarchal era, that was the priest standing alone in God's sanctuary, the inner sanctum of the tabernacle. Now that is each individual Christian, standing together in one accord in the Presence of God.
Sanctuary is what church is to God, and for me! The remainder of the days I am in the world, but on the Lord's Day, I endeavor to be in that inner sanctum away from the world. I feel at one with God in His house, and should escape the temptations and chaos of the world. I look forward to Sundays because God's House - the church is my sanctuary to be safe from the world and at one with God!
As such, attending church is pleasurable to God, and me. You see, I get the benefits from praising God in His House! I guess, to be honest, I am there for me although for God as well. I don't believe God has a problem with that unless my mind wanders. Sometimes it does!
Sometimes even in church, there is no sanctuary. We all bring some sin in there with us. Discord happens because of that. There may be animosities between people in church. God calls that hatred. There may be some who are less popular who are not included. James warns about that! (James 2:1-6). That is not being friends to all, and God despises that.
At other times some dress inappropriately, immodestly, or proudly; and rob the thoughts of others away from God. Royal priests should wear royal clothing. We think of royalty with grandeur but in God's eyes, the royal are the meek. (Matthew 5:5). With meekness is how John dressed - in plain garments - his of camel's hair.
Christians are Christians to save their lousy skins. Ironically, they desire that their own god - the self live for eternity. God is jealous of that but because he now wears flesh, He understands with empathy. As Christians, our desire is to have eternal life. That means living forever on Holy Ground in the Kingdom of God. There, we praise and honor God everyday - every day is the Lord's Day. Every day is Church Day, and every day is totally for God. Our reward there is to pleasure in the safety and magnificence of the Lord - forever!
Some resent Sunday. They don't even have a desire to spend one hour in God's House but yet expect to live every day forever in His Presence! That is foolish thinking, and is what Satan wants us to think. We should treasure Sunday in Church and do all that we can to take the focus off us, and put the emphasis on God. It is not music which we like but music which magnifies the Lord.
Church is not for our entertainment or even our pleasure. Church has one purpose - to stand on Holy Ground and put God first. Part of that is the humility of removing our spiritual sandals as Moses did in God's presence. We are to make church entirely for God.
We may not enjoy the sermon. Satan's watcher's may be there if there is discord to take your mind off God. We may knit-pick the preacher or his sermon. Those are seeds of discord. He is praising God, and as long as its truth, his speaking dynamics is not of God's concern. Moses was even a poor speaker, yet the people listened to him. I would venture to say that Jesus spoke perfectly but in the common man's vernacular - for them Aramiac.
We must remember that church is for God, not us, except for the privilege of being in His House. With that privilege comes the desire to be there! And since we're there, we are to praise and honor God.
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