Birthday's on the Sabbath

Redguard,

Remember, if your heart does not condemn you, you have confidence before the Lord.

Your child is a blessing to your family. There are things on both sides of the coin to consider: ie, are birthdays recognised in the Bible? Are you able to give praise to God on the birthday, as well as bless the child?

Personally, I feel it is a double blessing to have a birthday on Sabbath. Have fun with your God, and with your child.

Let each man be convinced in his own mind!

Jon

Redguard said:

trustandobey,

I appreciated your response. You were the only one who was able to give me a straightforward and relevant opinion to my inquiry.

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Hey, no problem! It hasn't ever been an issue in the past for me but it is this year, so I thought I'd share what I'm doing, as an Adventist.

I've been on a lot of Adventist message boards and from time-to-time someone will come in and say "okay, my co-worker said this about the Sabbath...is it true?"

Usually the person is just mad that their co-worker doesn't have to work that day but they do, and they're hoping the co-worker is just making it up and they can prove it the boss. HA!

A lot of Adventists don't celebrate birthdays. I do, because I consider human life as part of creation (duh...lol), and I'm thankful to the good Lord for creating my little niece. I'll be celebrating her life on Friday night, not necessarily her birth.

If your cousin feels really strongly about not doing it on Sabbath then she does have a foundation for that. If you have issue with her celebrating Sabbath at all, then obviously the party isn't the main issue at hand.

Don't let this ruin your relationship with her though. TALK about it.

God bless,
~Lainie

Jon0388g said:

Redguard,

Remember, if your heart does not condemn you, you have confidence before the Lord.

Your child is a blessing to your family. There are things on both sides of the coin to consider: ie, are birthdays recognised in the Bible? Are you able to give praise to God on the birthday, as well as bless the child?

Personally, I feel it is a double blessing to have a birthday on Sabbath. Have fun with your God, and with your child.

Let each man be convinced in his own mind!

Jon

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Cubans and most latins in South Florida have a different concept of what is a birthday celebration than anglo's, they rent a backyard mini circus complete with clown and make the birthday as a way to show off their wealth and influence, and if the youngster is older a disc jockey with dance floor is the norm or if really wealthy rent a hall with over a 50 to 100 people. A birthday is about the level of extravagance and social status that the family has reached, I dont think there much witnessing that can go on while they shake their 'moneymaker' and blast 'Snoop Dog' and other rap lyrics and other latin beats.........its a show, forget the cake and candle nonsense...

When it comes to a festival or party, latins are on a whole other dimension, so it definitely doesnt fall under a Sabbath activity in this part of the globe.........

Hello,
In direct answer to your opening question, no, I do not think it is a sin to eat and hang out for a friend's birthday on the Sabbath. However, I tend to take things on a situational basis, not an absolute rule, so there definately some birthday parties I would not go to on Sabbath as I know I would find things there that are not wholesome.
I also agree with trustandobey. If I were in your cousin's position, I would view it as a good witness oportunity especially since this is a child's party. In general, SDA's view Sabbath as the day God made to set the world and work aside and focus on Him and fellowship with each other. Personal opinions on how to live this differ, so I would say that talking to your cousin would help you understand what she considers important. Good luck with the party, children are definately a gift and deserve to be celebrated!

The sabbath was set aside in the beginnning as a day to be holy, sanctified by our God. Isaiah 58:13,14 says

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]."

The sabbath should be kept by every person. In what ways a person keeps it is between him and God. It is all about humbling yourself, becoming selfless as Jesus did on this earth, and by doing this you than honor God by obeying Him.

Whether it is right or wrong to have/attend a birthday party is a personal thing. What bothers me redguard is that you seem to be judging your cousin because of putting her God above you. Now you may say that she is hypocritical because she will be celebrating her mothers birthday on the sabbath but again that is between her and God. At the same time (and if I am reading you right, the problem is that you feel she is calling you out because you have planned a birthday party on the sabbath) she should not judge you on what you do on the sabbath.

All that said, I would not feel comfortable attending a party that is celebrating someones birthday on the sabbath. The sabbath was meant for us to praise God not a person no matter if they are a child or 90 years old. To me that is doing your own pleasure on the sabbath, putting yourself or someone else above God. No one should have greater honor on the Sabbath than our Lord and savior.

I like what Mrs. White says about birthdays in the Adventist Home:

Birthdays--a Time to Praise God.--Under the Jewish economy on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment. Now we see parents taking special pains to present gifts to their children upon their birthdays; they make this an occasion of honoring the child, as though honor were due to the human being. Satan has had his own way in these things; he has diverted the minds and the gifts to human beings; thus the thoughts of the children are turned to themselves, as if they were to be made the objects of special favor. . . . {AH 473.2}
On birthday occasions the children should be taught that they have reason for gratitude to God for His loving-kindness in preserving their lives for another year. Precious lessons might thus be given. For life, health, food, and clothing, no less than for the hope of eternal life, we are indebted to the Giver of all mercies; and it is due to God to recognize His gifts and to present our offerings of gratitude to our greatest benefactor. These birthday gifts are recognized of Heaven. {AH 473.3}

A Time to Review the Year's Record.--Teach them to review the past year of their life, to consider whether they would be glad to meet its record just as it stands in the books of heaven. Encourage in them serious thoughts, whether their deportment, their words, their works, are of a character pleasing to God. Have they been making their lives more like Jesus, beautiful and lovely in the
474
sight of God? Teach them the knowledge of the Lord, His ways, His precepts. {AH 473.4}

Making God's Cause First.--I have said to my family and my friends, I desire that no one shall make me a birthdayay or Christmas gift, unless it be with permission to pass it on into the Lord's treasury, to be appropriated in the establishment of missions. {AH 474.1}

If this birthday was a time to honor God for preserving a childs life and a time of reflection to look back on the past year and the record of it, I would love to attend this party on the sabbath for it would be honoring God.

But, I do not judge anyone that does not feel this way. It is a persons personal commitment to God that is important and as I said earlier people are at different stages in their walk with Christ.

Loveaboveall said:

All that said, I would not feel comfortable attending a party that is celebrating someones birthday on the sabbath. The sabbath was meant for us to praise God not a person no matter if they are a child or 90 years old. To me that is doing your own pleasure on the sabbath, putting yourself or someone else above God. No one should have greater honor on the Sabbath than our Lord and savior.

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I agree with your post Loveaboveall, however I think the part I quoted needs to be talked about a little.

My oldest son was born on a Sabbath. On that day I thanked the good Lord above for the wonderful gift He had given me.

In essence, I celebrated God THROUGH my son's BIRTH DAY.

I labored all day that day (literally), and when you're in that extreme amount of pain you cannot help but take your eyes off of God. I was not a Sabbath-keeper back then, but I still couldn't have only kept my eyes on God through everything I was going through.

I still contend that labor hurt me more than it has ever hurt any woman in the history of the world (HA!) No way has anyone ever been in as much pain as I was. (Yet I went on to have another child many years later....go figure).

The creation of that beautiful baby was nothing less than a miracle of God and I SAW God when I looked into his tiny little face for the first time.

Technically I did everything wrong in order to "keep" the Sabbath day holy. I labored, I took my eyes off of God, etc. But it was CREATION and it was beautiful and that brought me right back to God.

Celebrating a child's actual birth or the anniversary of their birth, to me, means the same thing. You are still celebrating life and creation which comes directly from God. It is possible to celebrate their little lives without taking our eyes off of God.

I do agree that we should not judge each other for WHAT we do on the Sabbath day. If Redguard and his cousin took the judging part out of this equation it could be a wonderful celebration for both of them, even if they're celebrating it differently within their own hearts.

What it boils down to is that Redguard's child, a beautiful child of God, is being celebrated on God's holy day, which to me makes the day even more beautiful.

This is going to face every Adventist at some point or another. Even if the child being celebrated doesn't have their actual birthday on the Sabbath, most parents like to have their parties on the weekends to accomodate people that have to work M-F.

It hasn't come up often for me (this is the first time in fact) but I made my decision to celebrate the life of my niece and make sure Jesus is a part of her party as well. If I play my cards right, I'll be out of there before sunset anyway.

I wouldn't skip church to go to a birthday party, and I'd just have to tell the parent that I'd come afterwards, but I WOULD go afterwards to let that child know that God celebrated their birth and I want to too.

Many blessings,
~Lainie

Redguard said:

I don't mean any disrespect, reddog, but aren't all those verses overshadowed by what Jesus had to say to the Pharisees in Matthew 12?

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I don't think they are, however, there is a difference between loading wagons and selling fruit and grain on the Sabbath than celebrating a birthday with children. My opinion ( take it for what is is worth ) would be what is done in the party at the time. If the party was nothing more than cutting and eating cake with ice cream and opening presents then I don't see a thing wrong with it. However, if the party included hiring a clown to come over and blow up balloons and ride a unicycle or play elaborate games then it may not be. The Sabbath should be the families favorite day of the week. Activities that include nature and praising the Lord or just drawing near to our loved ones is great. Sabbath is a great day to have quality time with our children and be the best mom or dad in the world to them.

God Bless
Jim Larmore

There have been a wide variaty of thoughts and opinions expressed in this thread. It is not my intent to give any 'blanket' answers that must be followed. However as a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather I can safely tell you that I have personally been faced with the points raised. Therefore I will share some of the basic principals about the Sabbath that I have posted elsewhere. I should also point out that while the following is directed primarily to parents of children, the same principals apply to adults as well.

It should also be noted that the question has been raised about adult Sabbath keepers celebrating a birthday on the Sabbath. The only comment that I will make about that is this. When a goup of close friends and relatives get together, no mater if it be on the Sabbath or not, the conversation often drifts into the realm of the 'everyday'.
Sadly this also happens at church fellowship lunchons that are often held at the church.

It might be well to take a look at some additional basic concepts of the purposes for the Sabbath. I realize that all of the following may or may not apply to your current situation but you may find things that will help to explain the need for the Sabbath and your position to others.

The following may be of help to those with younger children in planing for the Sabbath and Sabbath activities with their children.

"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" Mark 2:27

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The Sabbath and the family were instituted alike in Eden, and in God's purpose they are preptualy linked together. On this day more than any other, it is possible to live the life of Eden. It was God's plan for members of the family to be associated in work and study, in worship and recreation, with the parents as teachers and companions of their children. But the results of sin, having changed the conditions of life, to a great degree prevent this association. Often parents seldom see their children during the week long enough to even have a meal together. They are almost wholly deprived of the opportunity for companionship. But God has set a limit to the demands of toil. Over the Sabbath He places His merciful hand. In His own day He preserves for the family the opportunity for communion with Him, with nature, and with one another.

The Sabbath is a sign of creative and redeeming power; it points to God as the source of life and knowledge; it recalls man's primeval glory, and thus witnesses to God's purpose to re-create us in His own image. The Sabbath of the Lord bears His name and seal. "It is a sign," He says, "between Me and you;. . . that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." because "in six day the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Ex. 31:13; 20:11.

The Sabbath is the day above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through His works. In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath should be bound up with the beauty of natural things. Happy is the family who can go to the place of worship on the Sabbath as Jesus and His disciples went to the synagogue---accross the fields, along the shores of the lake, or through the groves. Happy the parents who can teach their children God's word with illustrations from the open pages of the book of nature; who can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study the word and to sing the praise of the Father above. By such associations parents may bind their children to their hearts, and thus to God, by ties that can never be broken.

I have provided the forgoing to help both young and old who may read this thread to find that line of demarcation between right and wrong in observing the Sabbath for themselves.


Respectfully, your brother in Christ,
Doc

I was out of my niece's birthday party long before sunset tonight.

My son had an accident at school and I had to drop his prescription off at the pharmacy on the way to the party. The pharmacy was closing just an hour and fifteen minutes later, so I had to make an appearance at the party and then rush back to the pharmacy before it closed.

I was home and settled in long before Sabbath hit and I'm really happy about that.

Hi Lainie,

I'm very sorry to hear about your son's accident today, and I pray that God will speed his recovery. However I'm very happy about the fact that you were home, "settled in," and ready for the begining of the Sabbath, and that made you "happy."

It truly is a good feeling to be ready to spend the very special hours of the Sabbath with our Creator. To be able to shut out the everyday things in our lives and experiance "the life of Eden," at least in a small way.

May you and your family have a happy Sabbath. God bless.

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

thecountrydoc said:

Hi Lainie,

I'm very sorry to hear about your son's accident today, and I pray that God will speed his recovery. However I'm very happy about the fact that you were home, "settled in," and ready for the begining of the Sabbath, and that made you "happy."

It truly is a good feeling to be ready to spend the very special hours of the Sabbath with our Creator. To be able to shut out the everyday things in our lives and experiance "the life of Eden," at least in a small way.

May you and your family have a happy Sabbath. God bless.

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

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Thanks Doc!

I really was glad to be home before Sabbath hit because I wasn't sure exactly WHAT to do. God took all struggle out of it, and I HAD to be home with my son.

Hi once again Lainie,

Isn't it increadible how God helps us make right choices? All we have to do is allow Him to take control of our lives.

Your friend in Christ,
Doc

thecountrydoc said:

Hi once again Lainie,

Isn't it increadible how God helps us make right choices? All we have to do is allow Him to take control of our lives.

Your friend in Christ,
Doc

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Amen Doc! Don't think I didn't notice His Hand in this for sure!

I adore my niece, but obviously not as much as I adore God....but I know a 2-year-old wouldn't understand her favorite aunty not being there.

It all worked out. I got to see her and let her know that I love her, and I was still home in time to watch God's holy day begin.

Hi Lainie,

I got to thinking about your experiance and it dawned on me that the best part of your story was the example you provided to your son.

May God bless you and your family.

Your friend in Christ,
Doc

thecountrydoc said:

Hi Lainie,

I got to thinking about your experiance and it dawned on me that the best part of your story was the example you provided to your son.

May God bless you and your family.

Your friend in Christ,
Doc

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Oh Doc, my oldest son is 12 now (almost 13) and he's going through a stage right now where everything is "stupid" or "lame" and he just seems to have a bad attitude about most things.

What's most surprising is that he's so young and I was AT LEAST 14 before I realized I was smarter than *my* parents.

I asked him the other day if he wanted to start getting serious and start talking about baptism and committing his life to Christ, and I saw a rare glimpse of my little boy, and he said "yes, mom, I do."

THEN BAM....broken ankle, the day before he was going to start going back to church!

He was touched that he was added to the church prayer list and I really think this phase he's been in for about 8 years (HA) is almost over, I pray that it is anyway.

~Lainie

Hi once again Lainie,

OOOH, Can I relate! Our oldest daughter reached a point in her life were it seemed that neither her mother nor I understood, her, the world around us, or just about anything else, especially if it seemed important to her at the time.

One day, after she had become a mother with children of her own, she said to my wife; "You know mom, its amazing how much smarter you and dad became as I got older."

I have a saying that I use all the time. "The reason that experiance is such a through teacher is because it allows no dropouts."

All I will tell you at this moment is, be patient and persisant with your son. I'm truly sorry about your son's accident and if you wish please feel free to tell him that he, and his recovery, is on my prayer list, as well as the prayer list of my family.

May God put His loving arms around you and your family, the Holy Angels protect each of you, and the Holy Spirit guide and comfort each of you as we all travel salvations highway to our hevenly home.

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

Doc, you always know just what to say! You're a doctor of the spirit, not just the body!