Dealing with a Common Exception: WCF 21.8 and the Recreation Clause
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
I’m sure you, like me, have sat through an innumerable number of exams at presbytery or in committee, whether they be for Licentiates, new ordinands, or transfers. More often than not when it comes time to state exceptions to the Westminster Confession there are two that seem to come in like rote repeat: WLC #109 on mental images (though this has now spread to allowing false images of Christ for children in popular books, I’ve written on that elsewhere) and WCF 21.8 regarding the so-called Recreation clause. In my little foray into Seventeen82 today I want to talk a little on that phrase, what it means historically, and why the reasoning behind the taking of the exception is based on either a simple mistake or a camel’s nose to allow all sorts of things that violate the Sabbath into the confessional tent. Hope that’s enough to get your eyes up.
For those who may be unawares here is the context of WCF 21.7-8:
vii. Is it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.
viii. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.
First of all if you are going to take this as an exception you need to name more than just this portion of the Confession of Faith. WSC #60 and WLC #117 say the same thing and defend the doctrine of WCF 21.7-8, so don’t leave them out when naming your exceptions.
Second when men explain why they are taking this exception the reasoning I often hear is that they want to throw a ball with their kids, or go for a walk, or let them play on the playground. To be honest when I’ve asked in the past about where they heard that the Westminster Divines were talking about recreations in this manner I am met with blank stares, primarily because none of the writers of our confession said anything about it. I’m still waiting for a single example of how letting little Timmy or Joanne run around violates the Sabbath Day in accordance with what our Standards teach. Even ultra-orthodox Jews with their Sabbath setting ovens don’t make their little ones sit still for twenty-four hours, so where did this idea come from? Thin air I imagine.
The word recreations has a very important historical context. King James’ Book of Sports is a little bit misunderstood in that its goal was to be a declarative act that dictated which recreations were lawful on the Sabbath, and those that weren’t. Any type of congregating sport which took away from the worship of God was banned. This included any blood sports, like bear or bull-baiting, and those which gathered a crowd like what Americans call soccer or lawn bowling plus early forms of cricket. Ironically the “loose” Sabbatarians like Bishop Laud and Charles I would be aghast at the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, and other organized sporting activities on Sunday. You wouldn’t even have to worry about the Westminster Divines and the Scottish Presbyterians coming after you for tossing it to Terry Bradshaw on Sunday. The Anglicans would get you first!
The concern of the Confession and chapter 21.8 is particularly focused on worldly recreations, in other words those activities which do not tend to encourage spiritual ends on the Lord’s Day. Simply put, does walking in the woods with your youngin’ enjoying the blessings of the creation which God has made helping or hurting their and your appreciation for the goodness of God? I would hope that the answer is clear. So if all you want to do is walk with the family in the park or toss a ball back and forth in the backyard in preparation for evening worship then I have good news for you: you aren’t actually against the teaching of the Confession so you need not take any exception to it. However, I don’t really think that’s what most people are concerned about when they do take that exception. They think by saying that they are, they are then allowed to engage in all kinds of commerce and worldly activities on the Sabbath, like making a person work for you at the Mexican restaurant as if they are some kind of servant (5th Commandment anyone?) or run the ride for you at Carowinds, or toss a pigskin to an opposing team which makes you lose your sanctification in front of your children, etc...Is that really in keeping with the rest of 21.7-8?
Reformed divine John Downame is representative of this view when he says:
“…all kinds of recreations [are prohibited] which are not necessary for the preserving of health and life, and tend not to the better fitting and enabling of us for religious duties, but to sensual and carnal delight… because these worldly recreations do more dangerously and cunningly wind into our hearts…”
Westminster Divine George Walker goes even further to say the same:
“…whatsoever recreations and exercises of body and mind are necessarily required for the bettering of our sanctification of the Lord’s day and the enabling of us to perform with more cheerfulness, strength and courage the holy worship of God, and the work and service of his holy Sabbath, and which are also intended by us only to that end and use, them we may use, and so far as they serve to further and in no wise to hinder God’s holy worship and the immediate works and duties thereof.”
It's okay to be outside on Sunday. It’s okay for your kids to be outside bodily exercising.
I don’t want to be an accuser of the brethren, but let’s at least be open about what you mean when you take an exception to the Westminster Standards on the Sabbath Day. No less a strict Sabbatarian than Joseph Pipa notes in his book on The Lord’s Day that picnics, wrestling on the floor with your kids, and doing activities in nature all are lawful ways for you and your family to enjoy the blessings of spiritual recreations on the Sabbath. Don’t let someone falsely, out of ignorance or otherwise, tell you that to keep WCF 21.7-8 means becoming a homebound grouch watching the paint dry. We are to make Sunday a delight to our families, and to ourselves and we don’t need people on TV or the internet or the stadium to do that for us.
Sunday is supposed to set apart, which is what the word holy means. If it is the same day as every other day, except with an hour or two of church time then we are missing the import of passages like Isaish 58, Mark 2, Hebrews 4, and Revelation 1. We are not to seek our own, but God’s good pleasure at all times, but especially on the day that He has made and given to us.
In closing, one of the questions we have to ask ourselves again as we get involved in activities on the Lord’s Day is How is this helping me to worship and rest in Christ? Or more importantly in keeping with the second table of the Law, How is this helping my neighbor worship and rest in Christ? If your defense of engaging in public activities on the Sabbath is It helps me relax and unwind and yet in doing so it means thousands must lose their opportunity to do the same is that really loving your neighbor as yourself? Some would call that what it is, selfish. Is that how Jesus calls us to live, to Lord our liberty over others, to move them to serve us and dance and move for our entertainment?
Take the exception to the Recreation clause all you want. But realize what it means when you do, there is a lot more going on than just a simple walk in the park.
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church