Seventh Day Adventist and working on Sabbath???

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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.

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I work with a Seventh Day Adventist who has chosen not to work on the Sabbath. This means that she has had to accept alternate assignments that I know she'd prefer not to, in order to maintain her Sabbath rest.

What does your spiritual leader advise?

Just a question, though: I know there are SDA hospitals in a lot of cities. How do they staff them (assuming some of the staff is observant)?

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I work with a Seventh Day Adventist who has chosen not to work on the Sabbath. This means that she has had to accept alternate assignments that I know she'd prefer not to, in order to maintain her Sabbath rest.

What does your spiritual leader advise?

Just a question, though: I know there are SDA hospitals in a lot of cities. How do they staff them (assuming some of the staff is observant)?

I am optimistic that if I follow what is in my heart and pray about it, God will provide. I do know that Emory Hospital is Adventist. I will look into them and see how they do their staffing. I will also ask my pastor. Thanks for the input and God Bless :)

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I subscribe to the 'ox in the well' practice. Remember the parable about the man whose ox fell in the well on the Sabbath? The work of freeing the animal was deemed acceptable and the right thing to do. I posit that my patients are 'oxen in wells' and it is good and right to care for them. Remember that Jesus said "Man was not made for the Sabbath, but rather the Sabbath was made for man."

Caveat: I am a generic, Bible-believing Christian and not a SDA.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

thread moved for best response

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

Just pick another day off and set it aside as a day of Rest and offer that up to the Lord as your Shabbat Shalom.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

There are several SDA hospitals around me. While my facility is not SDA, I do work with SDA nurses. My coworkers have chosen to work the Sabbath. Obviously with an SDA hospital you can't close on the sabbath, and work must go on. The differences I have heard at with the facilities is more dietary, no soda machines on campus, etc.

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Just pick another day off and set it aside as a day of Rest and offer that up to the Lord as your Shabbat Shalom.

Hello,

the way it works is that you can't "customize" what is written in the Bible and be judged only by what you choose and what you omit. I will be judged by what God wants and so I am trying to see how I can respect God and obey Him while also helping others in need which is also in accordance to the Bible. Though changing my day seems the easier thing to do, it is not changing what God says is the day of rest in which all creatures should rest in. I want to help people, but I am thinking that since many hospitals rotate weekends for fair share of weekends in the staff, that I will be most likely obligated to work at least one weekend out of the month.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I think that it might help to talk to your church....I thought that it was OK to be involved in helping others or charitable work on Saturdays. There are many Adventists hospitals that work on Saturdays. So I would think they would view your working a Saturday or two would be in keeping with your beliefs.

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I think that it might help to talk to your church....I thought that it was OK to be involved in helping others or charitable work on Saturdays. There are many Adventists hospitals that work on Saturdays. So I would think they would view your working a Saturday or two would be in keeping with your beliefs.

Hello,

Yes, I will be looking into this at possible workplaces, with my pastor, along with any other advice that comes along. Thanks for your input.

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Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.
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.[/quote']

I'd say do what your conscience will let you do if you cherry pick which part of the bible you want to follow. There are many things in the bible that if you were to follow them, you'd be in prison.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

Well you can lose the legalistic approach or go live in a convant.

God looks at the heart and is more interested in a personal intimate relationship with you....than if you keep rituals....our works are as filthy rags. Only by the blood and accepting Christ are we put in right standing.

I am not meaning to be rude or disrespectful as I too live for Christ.

I hope you find peace over your concerns.

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