Some good news

The Belfast City marathon will not now take place on the Lord's day in 2011 according to a report in today's Newsletter. We thank the Lord for an answer to prayer.

The agreement to postpone any decision to change the day on which it is held is for one year while marathon organisers consult widely with all affected groups before any further decision is taken on the issue.

Members of the organising committee have acknowledged that they were 'strongly lobbied' against changing the day on which the marathon is held. 

May further 'strong lobbying' be made that will see the marathon not being run long term on the Lord's day. 

To run the marathon on the Lord's Day is to break the fourth commandment. Exodus 20:8-11 states:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The Shorter Catechism explains the teaching of the Scriptures regarding keeping the sabbath day holy:

Question 60:How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

Answer: The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

Supporting Scriptures references:
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein, Leviticus 23:3a;
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Psalms 92:1,2;
What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days Matthew 12:11-12.

Question 61:What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?

Answer: The forth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.

Supporting Scriptures references:
Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD, Malachi 1:13;
They have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths, Ezekiel 23:38b;

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, Isaiah 58:13.