Origin of Sunday Liturgies

For over 1700 years, the traditional Christian day of worship has been on Sunday. Stores close, schools close and some families head toward various churches; however, this tradition did not always exist. In fact, in Judaism, the religion closest to Christianity, the holy day is Saturday, not Sunday. In Islam, the holy day is Friday. So why is a Sunday liturgy, or worship, traditional?

Origins

One of the first references to Sunday as a holy day is featured in the Biblical concept of "breaking bread." Some groups believed "breaking bread" meant only a day of worship while others assumed it meant any day of the week. This led to separation of Saturday or Sunday as a day of rest.

Roman influence

Probably the largest single influence in the Sunday liturgy is the Romans. The Romans had a seven day week followed by an eight day week. Eventually when Constantine, the first Christian emperor, saw the confusion created when the Sabbath was named on the seventh day, he cut through the confusion and declared Sunday the Sabbath. That put an end to the discussion.

Sunday liturgy today

The Sunday liturgy evolved dramatically in the last 60 years. In the early 20th century, no store would dare open on a Sunday. Stores, theaters, many restaurants and even police stations closed on the holy day, and most people did not work. Since then, retail chains have given up the tradition, and only a few places remain closed.

Although the Sunday liturgy remains an essential part of traditional Christian worship, it has changed significantly since it was declared the Sabbath by Constantine.