I would say that it would in no way be sin in God's eyes. The Pharisees were the ones who would call it sin, and Jesus corrected them. For you, woodworking is a self-expressive art form (I mean, right?). You do it because you love it and your mind is not fettered by routine earthly worries. It is doubtless that you also contemplate God many times while you work. It is part of your downtime. This cannot be sin. First, we have this:
Mark 2:27 : Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
If the Sabbath was made for man, then whether something is work should be in the eye of the beholder. This is supported by verses like:
Col 2:16-17 : 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Rom 14:5-6 : 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Hmmmmmm. According to these, you should be able to do your woodworking whenever you please, with the Lord's compliments.
Are you kidding? I was gagging when I was writing that illustration and deleting it fast so K would never see it. My medical insurance has a special exclusion for if I come anywhere within 20’ of any cutting or hammering tool or screw driver.
“It is doubtless that you also contemplate God many times”
Actually, I summon Him like David did in his precatory psalms......well, alright, it is more directing Him to vent His wrath on inanimate objects like hammers that whack thumbs, screw drivers that rip flesh and saws that can’t cut straight.
Really, what I really want to do on sabbath is to be a lumber jack, jumping from tree to tree.
It never ceases to amaze me how—it appears—the Protestants/Baptists always read the "me-me-me" into the scriptures by taking verses out of context.
Yes, FK, the sabbath was made for man to rest. Sabbath was not given to man to play, booze up, pursue hobbies or chase women, but to devote entirely to God.
The OT is full of references to support this notion. Listing them all would take up considerable bandwidth, so I simply suggest to read all references regarding observance of the sabbath. You will not find one that says anything else but complete rest.
The instance with Mark 2:27 is, of course, one in the series of correct interpretations of the Law Christ gives to teach that it is is the intent that makes sin a sin, and not the act. And, conversely, that one should consider, not the letter, but the intent of the law in following it.
In St. Mark's account, the group involved was hungry and Jesus explains that a hungry man's actions are not condemned because their intent was to feed and not to break the law. God does not delight in the suffering of anyone.
The group was hungry and picking some heads of grain in the field. They weren't stealing or killing or committing any crime, so it wasn't "work" and it wasn't "fun."
Hunger, like breathing, is something we don't control;. Acts dommitted in order to breathe or eat/survive is a necessity imposed upon us and is not an ill intent.
Your example of Mark 2:27 as "justification" to engage in a hobby on a sabbath doesn't hold water, FK.
But, of course, we Christians are not observers of the Law, and it is debatable what the nature of Christian sabbath should be. It is, after all, the day of Resurrection and of joy. It is the most important day in the week. Sunday gives meaning to our faith. Sunday is the Lord's Day not "our" day.
[If the Sabbath was made for man, then whether something is work should be in the eye of the beholder] This is supported by verses like: Col 2:16-17 : 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Rom 14:5-6 : 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Again, out-of-context quotes. St. Paul was talking about food laws to which the Jews were bound. He was simply saying that you will have to account to God for what you do and eat, and not to other people. He says what you eat should reflect your conviction of what is right towards God, and not your judgment of others. But that doesn't mean we will not be accountable for what we do or eat.
He's not giving us a blank check, saying "do whatever you wish," although—out of context—it could be misconstrued as such. We all know that rules don't make believers. Just because we "observe" the law doesn't mean we do it in our hearts. So, compliance is no indication of ours spiritual state, which we can know only as it pertains to us and not to others.
In other words, we don't know why some people don't observe sabbath or fast when everyone else seems to be. We must not pass judgment on those we see not observing, for there may be many reasons they are not observant.
This only relates to us judging others and not the principle of breaking the law because we don't know and must not judge other people's intent.