In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a recent lawsuit against the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A. Lauren Weber wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal that prompted today's conversation titled, “Sundays Are Sacred at Chick-fil-A. The U.S. Says a Worker's Saturday Sabbath Is, Too.” The restaurant is known for giving employees Sundays off to observe the Christian Sabbath, but found themselves being sued for denying an employee's request to have Saturdays off. Her denomination, the United Church of God, observes the Sabbath on Saturdays. So which day should the church observe? And what, really, defines a Sabbath?

The practice of observing a Sabbath day is something that has been declining among people who would consider themselves Christ followers. However, God felt that this was such an important part of our lives that the call to observe the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. Dr. White delivered a series at Mecklenburg Community Church simply titled, “Ten,” which explored the biblical and cultural significance of each of the Ten Commandments. You can find that series at Church & Culture HERE.

As Dr. White explained, as a society we've so overly cluttered our lives that it's hard for so may of us to even wrap our heads around taking a day to rest and renew. He referenced an old article from Newsweek featuring Neil Rudenstine, the (then) president of Harvard University, who once faced extreme exhaustion. It was titled “Breaking Point,” and you can read that article HERE.

He also discussed a 2025 Forbes article about how an increasing number of employees are taking sabbaticals, something that's really helping with career longevity. You can read the article titled “Why More Professionals Are Taking Sabbaticals—And How It's Transforming Work And Well-Being” HERE.

Dr. White referenced a recent announcement from the American Academy of Pediatrics updating their policy statement on the need for children to return to more play. He used this as inspiration for a recent Church & Culture blog titled “We All Need Recess,” which you can read HERE.

Finally, Dr. White discussed the importance of the church needing to teach on topics related to rest and the Sabbath. In addition to the series “Ten,” we'd encourage you to check out another recent series that he gave called “Quieting Your Life.” This series explored the call to quiet ourselves, how we need to be quiet and seek quiet, and the significance of a daily quiet time. You can find that series on Church & Culture HERE.

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