"YOU OBSERVE DAYS..."

"But now, after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain," (Galatians 4:9-11).

The difference between the Old and New Testaments is manifold. The Old was a system of fleshly ordinances; the New is the Law of the Spirit (Hebrews 9:10; Romans 8:2). The Old had strict dietary laws; the New proclaims all foods clean (Leviticus 11:1-4 7; I Timothy 4:1-5). The Old Covenant commanded sacrifice to be at the temple; the New ordains worship wherever "two or three" are gathered together in Jesus' Name (Deuteronomy 12:5-7; Matthew 18:19, 20; John 4:20-24). And the Old Testament commanded sp ecific days of the week, month, and year to be kept as holy by God's people; the New has no such calendar (Leviticus 23:1-44; 25:1-22; Colossians 2:14-17).

Special worship days are becoming more and more frequent among us. Some churches of Christ have special days of thanksgiving, others call for a "national" day of prayer; and some call for a day for nation-wide fasting among us.

The problem with such activities (and there is a problem) is that this thinking repeats the mistake of the Galatians, somehow expecting special days for the church to be more spiritual than regular worship. It is akin to the thinking that we are losin g something by not having some Old Testament precept or ordinance in our religion. Or even worse, that denominational religion, long involved with special "holy" days, is better than pure, simple, spiritual New Testament practice.

Is it good to pray for children? Certainly. But will our prayers be more effectual if every church of Christ prayed for children on one specific Sunday out of the year? Who believes it? Where does God say so? Is it good to be thankful more on a spec ific day than any other? If not, then what is the point of involving the church in such "games" of worship? Because we feel something not normally felt? Should that rare feeling be called spiritual worship? By whose definition? Certainly not God's.

This is not to deny that some people have special days for God according to their own conscience. But private devotion is to be kept just that- private. The church is not to be involved with the futility of special worship days (Romans 14:1-23).

Consider the danger of such days evolving into fixed days. Consider the terrible problem of judging one another because some ignore these days. Consider the typical inclination of keeping children's needs or even thanksgiving confined to the days chose n for these purposes. Far fetched? Not at all. This type of "spirituality" is exactly what happened with the first Sunday after Passover (Easter) and December 25.

The only day which the Spirit singles out is the first day of each week. He commanded the Lord's Supper and the collection for the saints to be taken on this day (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1, 2; II Thessalonians 2:15). Otherwise, every day is to be c ounted holy before God (Romans 12:1, 2).

Certainly, churches can and will have special events or emphases at different times according to their needs; but emphasizing special plans, events or accomplishments with worship, and holding special days of worship, are two different things. Paul's pr esence at Troas and Miletus produced special situations for the brethren, and the brethren worshiped at these times (Acts 20:7-12, 17, 36). But the churches did not commemorate his visits with special worship days held perpetually.

Dear brethren, it is time to get back to and be satisfied with the simple commands of the New Testament for worship. Beyond this we lose God (II John 9). If the Law of the Spirit of life is not enough for some, adding worship days of our own choosing f or the church will not satisfy, either. Like the Galatians of old, these people need to be converted to Christ (Galatians 4:19).

J. Terry Wheeler
1020 Pauline Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Edited & Uploaded by Shone Brooks, 7/13/95