Thought for Today

Exodus 16:23  "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD  

Leviticus 23:3  Six days shall work be done; but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work: it is a sabbath to the LORD throughout your settlements.  

Matthew 26:36  Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."  

Luke 9:28  Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

Tomorrow will be the last time until August that our congregation will worship in our sanctuary. We will worship during July with a sister congregation just a few miles down the road. In a tradition dating too long before I was called to serve First Parish Church, our church and Belleville Church just 2.1 miles down the road worship together, at Belleville during July and at First Parish during August. I find it a delightful tradition, friends and neighbors worshiping together, being reminded of the commonality of our faith. Being reminded that we are all children of God. Being reminded that we are united by far more than any distances or practices that might separate us.

Incidentally, the tradition also affords their minister and me a month off. I would be remiss not to acknowledge the benefits for us both. We have 4 (or 5) Sundays when we can be worshipers in a service led by another. A time each year free from sermon preparation and the other routine duties of our ministries. Truly, however, neither of us is ever far removed from our identities as ministers. The care of those entrusted to us by God is never far from our minds. But, our annual one-month sabbatical always provides rest and re-creation spiritually.

God built into Creation a cycle of work and living. Very early in our human history, our ancestors-in-the-faith recognized what we now call the circadian rhythm. “Circadian rhythm refers to the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in the environment . . . This internal clock helps determine sleep patterns, hormone release, eating habits, and other bodily functions (Copilot Answer). Over our history, we have come to recognize and accept that there is also a basic, optimum work cycle. God revealed what I think of as the 6-on, 1-off cycle, 6 days of labor, 1 day of rest and worship.

Modern behavioral science has determined that productivity is optimized by a 5-on, 2-off cycle coupled with an 8-hour workday. Some of our European neighbors are currently experimenting with a 4-on, 3-off cycle. There is debate about the ‘best’ on/off combination; there is no debate of which I am aware that challenges the idea that rest from labor is beneficial. Not all agree, but as a Christian, I also believe that some time spent in worship, in recognition of and reverence for our Creator is beneficial for everyone.

Interestingly, the word ‘vacation’ does not appear in the Bible. The Bible does not even remotely suggest that Jesus ever ‘took a day off’ from being the Christ. Neither does the Bible even remotely suggest that God ever ‘takes a day off’ from being God. In 1882, Friedrich Nietzsche famously wrote in The Gay Science, “God remains dead. And we have killed him.” The idea and the quote have been revisited periodically. In 1966, Time magazine published a cover story titled “Is God Dead?”

Obviously (I hope), I do not agree. I see the hand of God all around me. I have felt the power of the Holy Spirit alive and well in my own life. While I have deliberately planned many aspects of my life, the overall trajectory seems to me to clearly witness to God’s continued existence. I have shared before how much I appreciate Rev. James Moffatt’s translation of the holy name of God as The Eternal.

God is alive and well. God is not on vacation. Neither is Jesus, nor the Holy Spirit. All are always there, readily available. God is truly omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. I, however, will soon go (somewhat) off the grid. I will rest and re-create my spiritual energies. There may even be some days when I allow all who read these Thoughts a day off. Brave words now; we’ll see how things play out in July.

Stay safe, rest as appropriate but never stop worshiping, trust God,

Pastor Ray