De christelijke betekenis van de zondag in kerk en maatschappij

Abstract

In almost all Western countries in the last decades we have witnessed tendencies that have more and more eroded the traditionally familiar image of Sunday as a day of rest and as a day that is reserved for worship. As a consequence of various ecclesiastical and social developments the Christian character of Sunday is more and more subjected to pressure. This raises the question about the Christian relevance of Sunday. After a short description of Sunday as a marking point in time, I examine this matter further. Firstly, the meaning of Sunday within Christianity is studied from an ecclesiastical perspective. Substantial dimensions that are linked of old are being discussed. In previous decades, the ritual design of these dimensions in Sunday liturgy have undergone several shifts; as a consequence the meaning of Sunday became clouded. In this connection five elements are brought to light. First, the transformation from worship on Sunday to worship on weekends as well as the replacement of the Eucharist by prayer services and celebrations of Word and Communion must be mentioned. Moreover, the composition of the community varies increasingly, whereas, through the shift of a salvation historical approach to an approach in which the individual life history is central, the personal dimension is being accentuated. Furthermore, social themes and needs tend to determine the liturgical calendar more and more. From a broader perspective the question can be asked in what sense the religious or Christian dimension of Sunday matters for the social meaning of Sunday, which has changed in many respects. During the last decades, Sunday has come into the reach of consumption and commerce and because of this has become economically interesting and more ordinary. Without harming the changed status of Sunday, the Christian identity of the day of the Lord can be secured by profiling Sunday in ecclesiastical respect as a day of worship and in social respect as a day of rest.