Sabbath and Rest: Tertullian on the Lord's Day

Tertullian (d. c. 220) was among the earliest writers to discuss how Christians should observe the Lord's Day. He wrote: "We devote Sunday to rejoicing. We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord's Day to be unlawful. We rejoice in the same privilege also from Easter to Pentecost." Tertullian saw Sunday as fundamentally a day of joy, not restriction.

This joy was rooted in the resurrection: every Sunday is a "little Easter," a weekly celebration of Christ's victory over death. Tertullian even argued against kneeling on Sunday -- a posture of penitence -- because the day should express standing in triumph.

Practical application: Make your Sundays deliberately joyful. Start with worship, then enjoy good food, good conversation, and rest. Avoid the tendency to fill the day with errands or chores. Tertullian teaches that the Lord's Day is the one day each week when Christians are commanded not to mourn but to rejoice.