Adventism Needs a Better Way of Sharing the Sabbath
Adventism needs a better way of sharing the Sabbath.
Ok, I know that's a spicy claim. But hear me out.
In most of the SDA circles I've been in throughout my life — as a lay member and as a pastor — the Sabbath is often taught in one of three ways:
1. Day 1 vs day 7 (Which day is the Sabbath?)
2. Law vs grace (Does the Sabbath still apply under grace?)
3. Sunday laws (end time events, mark of the beast stuff)
Now there is nothing wrong with any of these conversations. And I'm not suggesting we should forget them.
BUT.
None of these frameworks connect with younger, unchurched generations. And here's why.
1. Day 1 vs day 7 — This argument only makes sense to people who already attend church and are interested in which day is the biblical Sabbath. But emerging unchurched generations have never been to church. They don't have a stake in this fight. The entire debate is meaningless to them.
2. Law vs grace — In all my years of sharing faith with secular friends, not one of them has ever pushed back on the Sabbath because "we are under grace." The law vs grace tension is a religious tension. It assumes the listener already understands that debate and has an opinion about it. Younger generations who have never been to church or opened a Bible don't know what law vs grace is. They've never heard of it. So this angle simply doesn't land.
3. Sunday laws — I'll admit that over the years I've found secular seekers often find Daniel and Revelation genuinely interesting. They don't carry the baggage many of us do because they never sat through those toxic prophecy seminars that make a lot of churchy folk allergic to the stuff. BUT — it still matters how we present it. And the way we typically present it still boils down to day 1 vs day 7 and law vs grace. Which, as we've already seen, simply doesn't connect.
In other words — all three of these frameworks present the Sabbath as the answer to questions young people simply aren't asking.
Now I know what some people will say.
"It doesn't matter if it connects or not. It's the truth. We have to preach the truth."
But nobody is saying don't preach the truth.
What I'm saying is — preach it in a language people actually understand.
There's no point preaching the truth in English if your audience doesn't speak English. Likewise, there's no point preaching the truth in Christianese or Adventese or Protestantese if your audience doesn't speak those languages either.
We need to translate. To contextualize. To help emerging generations see the beauty of the Sabbath in a way that answers questions they are actually asking.
That's exactly what my new workshop is designed to do.
It's called The Sabbath Reimagined — a live 90-minute session where I'll walk you through six practical frameworks for presenting the Sabbath to young, unchurched generations. Rooted in solid Adventist theology. Zero compromise. Just a new on-ramp for people who've never heard the real thing.
We go live April 15 at 7pm EST.
If you want in...
