It is commonly thought the Westminster Confession prohibits all recreation on the Lord’s Day; many of the Westminster divines, however, allowed for some recreation.

While recreation is not a proper work of the Lord’s Day, yet there are instances where it may be necessary, consistent with the Lord’s Day, or conducive and beneficial to worship.  Travis Fentiman, MDiv, has written a new article demonstrating that Westminster, from its original historical intention, only necessarily prohibits needless worldly recreations on the Lord’s Day.

It appears as the Intro on our Recreation on the Lord’s Day page.

This in-depth article synthesizes many of the ethical and practical issues involved.  You will learn A LOT from it.  It answers, in a nuanced way, the practical questions so commonly asked: whether it is right on the Lord’s Day for a dad to play catch with his son in the yard with a football, or to make love to one’s spouse.

Take the time to come to a fuller and more integrated understanding of the Lord’s Day, and may it help you to rejoice in our Lord every week all the more!