“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
There is something different about Sunday.
Maybe it’s because, for so much of my life, Sunday has meant church. Maybe it’s the slower pace, the gathering together, the worship, or simply knowing that this day doesn’t have to look exactly like every other day of the week.
Whatever it is, I’ve come to appreciate Sundays more as I’ve gotten older.
Our Sundays actually look a little different from what most people probably picture when they think about going to church. Our church service doesn’t begin until 3:00 in the afternoon.
At first glance, that might seem like an unusual time. Most churches gather Sunday morning, and for many families the familiar rhythm is getting up, getting everyone ready, heading to church and then coming home for Sunday lunch.
For us, Sunday mornings are slower.
We don’t have to rush out the door first thing. We can sleep a little longer, take our time getting ready, and every Sunday we have brunch together as a family. It has become part of our Sunday rhythm, time around the table together before the afternoon takes us to church.
I’ve grown to really appreciate that.
There is something about beginning Sunday without the same rush that fills so many other days of the week. Our family brunch isn’t anything profound or complicated, but it is time together. And I think those ordinary traditions, the ones that quietly become part of the rhythm of a family, matter.
Then, as the afternoon comes, our focus shifts toward church. We get ready and head out for our 3:00 service, where we gather with our church family to worship, hear God’s Word preached, and spend time in fellowship.
It makes Sunday feel different.
Not empty. Not necessarily a day when nothing gets done.
But slower. More intentional. Set apart.
More Than Just a Day Off
Our culture is pretty good at recognizing the weekend as a break from work, but biblical rest is about something deeper than simply having a day when we don’t go to the office.
Rest reminds us that we are not meant to spend every moment producing, accomplishing, working, and checking things off a list.
There will always be another load of laundry.
There will always be another email.
There will always be something around the house that could be cleaned, organized, or finished.
There will always be work waiting for Monday.
But God didn’t design us to live as though everything depends upon our ability to keep going.
Jesus said:
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27 (ESV)
Rest is a gift.
And I think sometimes we forget that.
We can become so accustomed to being busy that slowing down actually feels uncomfortable. We look around and immediately see all the things we could be doing.
But there is value in setting aside time to rest, to worship, and to remember who God is.
Why Gathering Together Matters
As much as I appreciate the slower part of Sunday, Sunday isn’t only about staying home and resting.
It’s also about gathering.
There is something important about walking into church with other believers and worshipping God together.
Hebrews tells us:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together…”
Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV)
Church isn’t simply something we attend because it is Sunday.
We need one another.
We need biblical teaching. We need worship. We need fellowship. We need encouragement. We need people who will pray with us, walk through difficult seasons with us, celebrate with us, and point us back to Christ when life becomes overwhelming.
And sometimes we simply need to sit among God’s people and be reminded that we aren’t walking this life of faith alone.
There have certainly been Sundays when I haven’t felt particularly energetic or when staying home would have been easier.
But I can’t think of many times when I’ve gone to church and wished afterward that I hadn’t.
A Different Rhythm
Having a 3:00 p.m. service has given Sunday a rhythm I have come to love.
The morning is slow.
We have brunch together.
The afternoon turns our attention toward church.
And by the time we come home, much of the day has already been intentionally different from the rest of the week.
Not perfect. Not necessarily completely free from chores or responsibilities.
Just different.
Set apart.
And maybe that’s something worth protecting.
Because Monday will come.
The appointments, responsibilities, work, school, errands, and ordinary demands of life will begin again.
But Sunday gives us an opportunity to stop before another week begins and remember something incredibly important:
God is God even when we stop working.
The world keeps turning when we rest.
And our value was never found in how much we could accomplish in seven days.
This Is the Day the Lord Has Made
I don’t want Sunday to become just another day that happens to fall between Saturday and Monday.
I want to notice it.
To be thankful for a slower morning.
To sit around the table with my family.
To open my Bible.
To worship.
To gather with God’s people.
To hear His Word preached.
To rest without feeling as though every available hour needs to be productive.
And to remember that the God who carried me through the week behind me is already present in the week ahead.
“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
So today, I’m thankful for Sunday.
For slow mornings and Sunday brunch around the table.
For 3:00 church services.
For worship and Scripture.
For fellowship.
For rest.
And most of all, for the God who gives us every single one of our days.
