Christians will debate the specifics about appropriate ways to observe the Sabbath. But there is no doubt about whether people of faith should take seriously the significance of a special day for rest and worship. When the idea is part of the Ten Commandments, it is more than a suggestion.

It is not necessary to become legalistic in order to celebrate Sunday appropriately, but it is a day on which we need to celebrate. Sunday should be anticipated as the best day of the week. If it is not, changes need to be made in one's attitude about Sunday.

God knows what is best for human beings and rest is certainly an important physical need.

Now come the results of a new study that shows that people who attend church weekly live an average of seven years longer than people who never attend worship services. In a day when people are seeking to extend their earthly life, it is interesting that there is such an obvious option.

According to the report, which was part of a survey conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and partly funded by the National Science Foundation: "The seven-year gap is the same as the difference in life expectancies between men and women and between blacks and whites. Among black people studied, the gulf was even wider, with the life expectancy at age 20 for those who regularly attend church being 60.1 more years (that is, living to age 80), compared with 46.4 more years (age 66) for those who never attend church."

In trying to explain what causes the difference, researchers suggest that statistics may relate to the fact that churches tend to discredit such unhealthy behaviors as smoking and drinking. There is also the factor of church members looking after one another in helping to monitor their health. But further research is planned to determine the correlation between attending worship and relieving the stress that causes illness.

People may attend worship occasionally just out of tradition or curiosity or even a sense of obligation. But the thing that will keep them coming back to worship again and again is the awareness of the difference it makes in their lives.

We often don't realize how important rest is to us until we go without it for a period of time. How can we realize our need for true worship if we simply go through the motions, thinking we have worshipped, but having no real communion with God.

In our fast paced lives, it seems one of the greatest needs is for people to slow down and take time to rest and worship. We need to be reminded that proper Sunday observance will accomplish both objectives and contribute greatly to the productivity and quality of the rest of our days.