Seventh Day Adventist and working on Sabbath???

Nurses Spirituality

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I was curious, I am a Seventh-Day Adventist and am struggling with the concept of working on Sabbath when your job, whether it be being a cop, firefighter, or someone else who is saving a life. The Bible is not always black and white and even though the Ten Commandments DO say to rest on the seventh day from all your labors, there are other instances in the Bible where helping others during time of rest are the right thing to do. What about those Nicu babies??? What about those who need constant care??? I would like input from a spiritual standpoint on how you all respect your Sabbaths and do it as a nurse.

Specializes in hospice.

Never mind that bans on pork and menstrual separation are from the Old Testament and we're discussing Christians who live under the new covenant.

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Never mind that bans on pork and menstrual separation are from the Old Testament and we're discussing Christians who live under the new covenant.

Again, I was just trying to make a point. But I can see that you missed it.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.
I am a SDA and to expect others to work on the Sabbath on essential work, but not us,is hypocritical. The Sabbath is God's not ours. This reminds me of Orthodox Jews who hire people to light their fires and turn on their lights on Sabbath. And as we have the largest Protestant health care system in the world, to think none of us work on the Sabbath seems pretty unlikely.

A little slam to the Orthodox Jews? Do you have any REAL knowledge of their practices?

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Yes I do. In Europe it was common for jews to hire Gentiles to do those things as it was felt it wasn't a sin for them. I have nothing against Jews as a group.

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I saw this too. It is very good.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.
Yes I do. In Europe it was common for jews to hire Gentiles to do those things as it was felt it wasn't a sin for them. I have nothing against Jews as a group.

It is not about sin for a gentile. They are not obligated to keep the Sabbath as the Orthodox Jews believe.

Reading your original context it sounded to me like a put down of someone's practices.

Next up will be the legalism debate.

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Specializes in hospice.

How is providing honest, paid work for other people, in obedience to one's own religious laws, which those others do not have to obey, wrong? Seems to me that giving work to a family provider is an admirable thing to do.

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I too am a Seventh-Day Adventist. While growing up, my mom, who was a general surgeon, was often absent from church due to surgeries or emergencies. On one of the few occasions she was in church, an older gentleman passed out, and she left church in the ambulance with him.

Here are some Bible verses which might help you make your decision. Take note, that when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, it was more often an exception than a rule. Mark 1:32 and Luke 4:40 are examples of this.

Exodus 20:8, 31:13

Deuteronomy 5:12

Matthew 12:9-12

Mark 1:32, 3:4

Luke 4:40

It sounds like the Holy Spirit is moving you to not work on Sabbath. It will probably be difficult, even at an Adventist Hospital, but God will provide for those who honor Him.

I also have a few EGW quotes, if you are interested.

Counsels on Health, pg 236, 511

Testimonies to the Church, Volume 6, pg,265

Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Just because there were only a few instances documented in the Bible of Jesus healing someone on the Sabbath does not mean he didn't perform more healings.

Rom. 10:4 says "Christ is the end of the Law, so that everyone exercising faith may have righteousness." Christ came to Earth to fulfill Mosaic Law. Having a righteous standing with God depends on faith in Christ, not in keeping a weekly sabbath.

Col. 2: 13-16- "God kindly forgave us all our trespasses and blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us...Therefore let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath." If a person was under the Mosaic Law and was judged guilty of profaning the Sabbath, he was to be stoned to death by the congregation, according to Exodus 31:14 and Numbers 15:32-35. Good thing we are still not under Mosaic Law. Colossians shows that an approved standing with God does not require that we observe the sabbath requirement that the Israelites were given.

Furthermore, the Bible does not specifically state that Sunday is the Sabbath day. In the book Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church, author A. P. Stanley notes, "The retention of the old Pagan name of Dies Solis, or 'Sunday,' for the weekly Christian festival, is, in great measure, owing to the union of Pagan and so-called Christian sentiment with which the first day of the week was recommended by Constantine, in an edict in 321 CE, to his subjects, Pagan and Christian alike, as the 'venerable day of the Sun.'...It was his mode of harmonizing the discordant religions of the Empire under one common institution. (Stanley, A. 1871 Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church, p 291)

The sabbath day was a sign between God and Israel, as noted in Ex. 31: 16, 17- "The sons of Israel must keep the sabbath, so as to carry out the sabbath during their generations. It is a covenant to time indefinite. Between me and the sons of Israel it is a sign to time indefinite." This scripture only refers Israel; this would not be the case if everyone else were required to observe the sabbath. Furthermore, the Hebrew word in this scripture translates to a period of time that, from the standpoint of the present, is indefinite or hidden from sight, but of long duration. It does not necessarily mean forever.

Ultimately, the OP needs to do what his/her conscience permits.

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I follow Judaism's structure of Shabbat, that being sundown Friday evening until just past sundown Saturday evening. Our 'day of rest' has never changed from the time the Torah was handed down.

It might be interesting to note that my (non-Jewish, non-7th DA) husband believes that he is only "keeping the Sabbath Holy" if he observes it to be as outlined above; the idea of Sunday as the 'new Sabbath' (in keeping with the resurrection of Jesus) is bothersome to him. He figures since G-d Himself didn't change the date....HE sure isn't gonna! :)

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SDA is a religion and should not dabble with business like owning hospitals. Business corrupts and degrades religion.

Sabbath is called a day of rest for a reason, rest from work and business.

To do good on the Sabbath like healing is allowed but not billing.

Besides, medical centers/hospitals provides medical treatment only not HEALING. We in the healthcare, we treat patients not heal them. We don't have powers to heal but only to treat.

Voltaire said "The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature heals itself" is very true.

Working for free in case of catastrophic emergencies or SDA hospitals giving medical care free of charge every Sabbath is ok.

Remember that Sabbath is the Sabbath of the Lord not a Sabbath of the Patients.

"You cannot serve God and money at the same time" in Matthew 6:24

Hope this helps.

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Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN.

I hold to the ("works of necessity and mercy") clause of the Westminster Confession in regards to the fourth commandment. The clause springs from Jesus' healing of the blind and lame on the Sabbath, as well as the ("ox in the ditch/well") parable. If I can be a minister of healing and hope for my "neighbor" on my religion's day of worship, then I consider myself privileged to be walking in the footsteps of my Lord and Savior. I'm not saying that my taking care of patients on the Sabbath can be qualified as an act of worship, but I certainly do believe that there is no sin in doing my part to help heal the sick and broken.

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