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Sabbath Day - Orthodox

Original Happy Camper

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I am thinking about joining the Orthodox Church but I am a sabbath keeper.

I was wondering how do the Orthodox view the sabbath day?

I did a search online and found various views so I am confused.

please define sabbath keeper
 
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Union With Christ

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define sabbath keeper

I rest and commune with God from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday per the 4th commandment. I believe the sabbath is the seventh day of the week and was instituted at creation. It was also observed by our Lord and his apostles.
 
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Original Happy Camper

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I rest and commune with God from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday per the 4th commandment. I believe the sabbath is the seventh day of the week and was instituted at creation. It was also observed by our Lord and his apostles.

thanks
 
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Lukaris

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We have Vespers on Saturday which recalls the Old Testament period. It is begun by the reading of Psalm 103 ( Psalm 104 in western Bibles, see Psalms 104). Our sense of sabbath is tied to the resurrection so it is applied to Sunday.

Further info on Saturday Vespers ( scroll down to theologial meaning of Vespers):

Vespers - OrthodoxWiki
 
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Union With Christ

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We orthodox follow ALL commandments from the God.

P.S.
Sabbath (Saturday) is Sunday

That Sunday is the sabbath is not the most typical answer I have found online from the Orthodox community.

I have found various answers online from the Orthodox community but this is what Wikipedia says:

Eastern Orthodoxy
Orthodox Sunday worship is not a direct Sabbath observance. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes the first day (liturgical Sunday, beginning Saturday evening) as a weekly feast, the remembrance of Christ's resurrection, and a mini-Pascha. As such, it tends to hold the first place within a week's observances, sharing that place only with other major feasts which occur from time to time. The Divine Liturgy is always celebrated, joining the participants on earth with those who offer the worship in God's kingdom, and hence joining the first day to the eighth day, wherein the communion of the whole Church with Christ is fully realized. As such, it is never surpassed as a time for the Orthodox to assemble in worship.

The Church affirms its authority to appoint the time of this feast (and all observances) as deriving from the authority given to the apostles and passed to the bishops through the laying-on of hands, for the sake of the governance of the Church on earth, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 20:22, John 14:26, Rom. 6:14-18, Rom. 7:6). It does not treat Sunday worship as a transference of Sabbath worship, but identifies the Sabbath, still on Saturday, as a Biblical "type", a precursor, realized fully only after Christ's fulfillment of the Mosaic Law (Mat. 5:17-18). Thus, the Sabbath and the Mosaic Law both remain as a teacher, reminding Christians to worship in holiness, but now according to grace, in Christian observations and Sunday worship.

The grace received in baptism binds the Church to Christ, who has given his people the freedom to seek him directly in relationship, not to pursue whatever suits one's fancy. The goal of that freedom is always union with Christ in theosis, and the maintenance of that union all the time, throughout this life and into the next, which is sometimes described as the "sanctification of time". Grace therefore never permits of whatever is sinful or unhelpful to salvation, such as laziness or hedonistic revelry. Rather, it becomes a stricter guide for behavior than any legal code, even the Mosaic, and disciplines the believer in some degree of ascetic endeavor (Rom. 6:14-18).[62]

Orthodoxy recognizes no mandated time for rest, a day or any other span, but the Church leads the individual to holiness in different ways, and recognizes the need for economy and for rest. Activities such as sleep, relaxation, and recreation become a matter of balance and proper handling, and acceptance of God's mercy. St. Basil the Greatexpresses thanks for this in a prayer often said by Orthodox Christians in the morning, after rising: "You do we bless, O Most High God and Lord of mercy, ... Who has given unto us sleep for rest from our infirmity, and for repose of our much-toiling flesh."[63] In recognition of God's gifts, therefore, the Church welcomes and supports civil laws that provide a day away from labor, which then become opportunities for Christians to pray, rest, and engage in acts of mercy. In grace do Christians respond, remembering both the example of the Sabbath rest, and Christ's lordship (Mk. 2:21-28).
 
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Union With Christ

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We have Vespers on Saturday which recalls the Old Testament period. It is begun by the reading of Psalm 103 ( Psalm 104 in western Bibles, see Psalms 104). Our sense of sabbath is tied to the resurrection so it is applied to Sunday.

Further info on Saturday Vespers ( scroll down to theologial meaning of Vespers):

Vespers - OrthodoxWiki

I do realize that there are Vespers on Saturday. However Vespers do not equal sabbath keeping.

I understand that the answer I am receiving here is that Sunday is the sabbath but that is not the only answer I have found from the Orthodox online.
 
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prodromos

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We orthodox follow ALL commandments from the God.

P.S.
Sabbath (Saturday) is Sunday
No it isn't.
We honour the Sabbath in a number of ways, primarily we do not fast on the Sabbath (unless we are preparing to receive Holy Communion. However we understand that when Genesis states that God rested on the seventh day, it was pointing to the future event when God become man would rest in the tomb. God is spirit and does not tire and have need of rest. Rest is something which pertains to the flesh.

As Orthodox Christians we have been baptised in Christ, through which we participate in Christ's death and resurrection, so we have passed through the Sabbath rest and are now risen with Him on the eighth day, which we call Kuriaki, the Lord's day, what is known in the West as Sunday
 
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Union With Christ

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It does say that we need not be idle.

No, it says that it’s alright to save your animal in an emergency situation. Jesus main point about the sabbath is that it is lawful to do good on that day.
 
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prodromos

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No, it says that it’s alright to save your animal in an emergency situation. Jesus main point about the sabbath is that it is lawful to do good on that day.
Was it an emergency when Christ healed the man's hand? What about all the others He healed on the Sabbath?
 
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Union With Christ

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Was it an emergency when Christ healed the man's hand? What about all the others He healed on the Sabbath?

Yes, it was an emergency and this emphasizes my point exactly. Christ never admonished us to stay busy on the sabbath but he did admonish us that it is alright to do good on the sabbath. I already mentioned that in my previous post.
 
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prodromos

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Yes, it was an emergency and this emphasizes my point exactly.
How was it an emergency? There was no danger to the man's life. It would have made no difference to him if Christ healed him on any other day of the week.

Christ pointed out to the Pharisees that even they would willingly break the Sabbath according to their understanding. He wasn't saying that you could only do it in an emergency. He only used that example to point out their hypocrisy.
 
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How was it an emergency? There was no danger to the man's life. It would have made no difference to him if Christ healed him on any other day of the week.

Would you consider it an emergency if it were your hand?
 
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Union With Christ

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Christ pointed out to the Pharisees that even they would willingly break the Sabbath according to their understanding. He wasn't saying that you could only do it in an emergency. He only used that example to point out their hypocrisy.

As I have already stated Christ was trying to illustrate the fact that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.
 
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