Why I Seldom Shop on a Sunday

By Michael Schluter

My starting point is that the most important thing in the world from God's point of view is our relationships. God is not a unitary being in the universe, but a community of three persons who are in constant conversation--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Relationships matter at the level of human communities and relationships need time. Time is the currency of relationships in the same way that money is the currency of the economy.

This is important in helping us understand why the Lord attaches such significance to Sundays. In the Old Testament law, one of the 10 Commandments was that the Israelites should not work on the Sabbath, accompanied by strong sanctions. We understand more easily why God requires His people not to commit murder or not to commit adultery. But why is one of the 10 Commandments about not working on the Sabbath?

Another question. Why is the Sabbath the only one of the Commandments which is not repeated in the New Testament? In the book of Revelation there is mention of ‘the Lord’s Day’ (Rev 1:10), and also it seems that in New Testament times Christians met on the first day of the week (1 Cor 16:1-2). Given that the early Christians largely were slaves and in lower class occupations in the Roman Empire, they had no opportunity to influence Imperial Rome’s policies but had to practise their faith as best they could within the employment practices of the Roman Empire. Hence, it seemed that as many as could manage it would meet on a Sunday evening each week (Acts 20:7).

It seems to me that the answer to these questions is as follows. The weekly shared day off ensures time for relational priorities, both time with the Lord and time with our families and communities. Today, it enables church communities to be able to meet because only a few of their members are at work. It helps to make sure that we're not too busy with our work, TV, social media and shopping to spend time worshipping and in conversation with the Lord, as well as face-to-face with our relatives and friends.

Nearly 40 years ago, soon after I returned from Africa and India to live in the UK, I felt a clear call from the Lord to run a campaign against Mrs Thatcher, Britain's Prime Minister at the time, who wanted to in effect abolish Sundays as a special day by totally deregulating shop opening hours. She had a huge majority in the House of Commons so everyone assumed the legislation would go through easily; however, through a series of what I have always regarded as miracles, there was a historic defeat of the government’s legislation on April 14, 1986. [1]

At the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis chapter 2, we read ‘God rested on the seventh day from all his work after his creation. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done’ (Genesis 2:2-3). So another of God’s reasons for creating the Sabbath as an institution was to ensure that after we work for six days, there is the opportunity to rest--because rest matters for our long-term well-being.

Recent research has shown that rest impacts on brain performance, increased concentration, mental health and improved memory, mood and a person’s sense of well-being. It also lowers risks of serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease while contributing to a healthier immune system, reduced stress, improved mood and even a better metabolism. It helps a person think more clearly and do better in school and at work.

So how does this view of how Sundays impact on our relationships, and how it ensures that everybody has a chance to rest from their work one full day each week, help explain why I seldom shop on a Sunday?

From an employee’s point of view, it makes an enormous difference whether the shops and other businesses are closed on Sundays. It is not enough to guarantee to an employee that they can have one weekday off each week, because it is likely that other members of the family will be working and children will be at school. For example, if I'm given Wednesdays off each week, and my spouse or partner is given Thursdays off, we may not have a single day when we are together at home. This is particularly important if we have children who are at school from Monday to Friday; parents and children can only be at home on the same day at the weekend.

If I shop on a Sunday, probably without being conscious of it, I may well be contributing in a small way to the breakdown of families and marriages. I would certainly not wish the Lord to have to point this out to me on the Day of Judgement! My individual decisions and choices may not be enough to change the behaviour of the shop or store. However, by deciding not to shop myself I am making a statement to relatives, friends and neighbours that I believe everyone should have the opportunity to be with their families on one day each week, and at a deeper level that our relationships matter more than our material possessions.

If all Christians were to take a strong stand on this issue, including trying to influence our MPs on the point, it might well be that we could together shape legislation in the future to prevent any further increase in shop opening hours, and perhaps even reduce them from their current levels. [2]

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[1] The story of the Campaign can be found in the book published shortly afterwards - Michael Schluter with David Lee, Keeping Sunday Special, Marshall Pickering, 1988.

[2] The position regarding legislation which was adopted by the Keep Sunday Special Campaign was based on the so-called REST proposals: only shops important for Recreation, required for Emergencies, retailers who facilitate Social gatherings and those necessary for the Travelling public should be permitted to open on Sundays.

The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Jubilee Centre or its trustees.