No, proclaiming the Word, administering baptism and the Supper, caring for the spiritual and physical well-being of the saints, and bringing in the lost are kingdom work. Building bridges, delivering medical supplies to hospitals, installing water heaters, defending clients in court, holding public office, and having friends over for dinner are “creation work”…

Since all creation is Jesus’ Kingdom, I don’t see how that dichotomy can be defended.

I think there’s liberty to call worship services outside of Sunday, and surely our respective denominations have answered that question. I really don’t think this is Bruce’s point.

I think his point is, WHY should we call Christmas a Christian holy-day, or Easter or Ascension day, when the things especially remembered on those days are properly remembered and preached about every Sabbath?

As Godfrey says, “Let’s take the Christ OUT of Christmas.” I love him for it.

E

Here is some stuff from St. Hyde. (Note that he criticizes St. Hart in the first link. Ouch. But it’s hurts so good, as the man once said.)

http://dannyhyde.squarespace.com/journal/2007/11/28/not-holy-but-helpful-thoughts-on-the-church-calendar.html

http://dannyhyde.squarespace.com/journal/2007/12/14/calvin-and-the-rpw-in-zephaniah.html

We do not have regualr mid-week services. We have reguylar mid-week theology classes for those interested, because I am commanded to teach (Eph 4; pastoral epistles). We occasionally have worship services on days other than the Lord’s Day because I am commanded to preach the Gospel (Eph 4; pastoral epistles) and because the elders are commanded to oversee the church as it is manifested in the local congregation (Acts 20; pastorals; Heb 13.17). Our Church Order *applies* this by stating in Article 37 that “The Consistory shall call the congregation together for corporate worship twice on each Lord’s Day. Special services may be called…”

We cannot merely invoke the RPW. We also have to apply it. I see no command in Scripture that limits worship to the Lord’s Day only. I do see commands in Scripture, however, that call the minister to preach the Gospel, the elders to oversee the congregation, and the congregation to submit to the elders.

FWIW, if you were in my congregation and felt conscience-bound to stay home when the congregation was called to worship on Good Friday or Ascension Day, and forego an preached exposition of Scripture, the Lord’s Table, corporate prayer, and fellowship with the brethren, on the grounds that it is sinful to participate in those things on anything other than the Lord’s Day, I would bear with your scruples, but not bring you under discipline, so long as you did not try binding the consciences of others.

I know how the RPW works, thank you very much. Read my sentence again. It’s Calvinistic, not Lutheran.

And how does this fit in with the RPW again?

And where is the command that the elders are only permitted to call the congregation to worship on the Lord’s Day?

It’s a worship service on Ascension Day.

So why would you ask Reuben if his church is canceling worship just this one day per year?

Run it by me one more time. What is an Ascension Day service?

Well fine, I guess that isn’t the vacuum I hear over there then.

You got it! And a lot of continental Reformed do too. We had our first one last year. Horton preached.