Thought for Today
Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.
Ester 9:17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Luke 23:56 Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
I am strongly in favor of rest. I’ve mentioned before the lovely tradition our congregation shares with our sister congregation nearby. During July, we worship with them. During August, they worship with us. Their pastor and I each get a whole month off from the routine of preparing and presenting sermons, from leading weekly worship.
I am currently in the midst of my month off; and, I have experienced nothing so far to lessen my proclivity for rest. Yet, the pull of my faith tugs no less because of my rest time. The fires burn no less brightly.
God rested on the seventh day after the beginning. The Jews in captivity rested on the 13th of Adar. Jesus promised us all rest for our souls. Even Jesus’ own followers rested on the sabbath following the Crucifixion. The Prophet of Ecclesiastes wrote, “3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: . . . 6 a time to keep, and a time to throw away; . . . 7 a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” “A time to work and a time to rest” must have been lost through scribal error at some long-ago time.
So, how are Christians to go about resting? Does our faith command that we draw the shades, turn off all devices and power-nap? Should we leave home or stay-cate (vacation at home)? Is it permissible to work in the garden during our rest sabbaticals? Some time ago, I shared one of the greatest mysteries of my youth. My own father believed it was a violation of “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” for us to go to the movies on Sunday . . . but perfectly permissible for me to mow the yard after church.
I am strongly in favor of rest. Jesus sometimes stepped away from the crowd and went off to 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,” “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.” Jesus understood that sometimes we all need to get away from the maddening crowd, to reconnect with our Creator God and to recharge our spiritual batteries.
My colleague at Belleville Church and I each get a month during the summer to get away, to recharge our batteries. I am now in the midst of my time away. But, that does not mean that I am ever too far away. Sometimes this month I do draw the shades, turn off all devices and power-nap. Sometimes I work in the yard. Sometimes Greta and I slip away for a few days for a change of scenery. Sometimes, evidently, rest involves shopping and spending money.
I must admit, however, that through it all, I do not take any time away from prayer, from reading my daily devotionals and often from sharing these Thoughts. I may be a tad erratic and miss a day of sharing. I may, like today, be a bit late in the day before I write. I am strongly in favor of rest. But sometimes there is rest in sleeping late, in slipping away . . . and also in reading scripture, in reading devotionals and in writing. There is also rest in getting a bit ahead in the normal routines of daily and weekly life, choosing scriptures for sermons, songs to accompany those sermons, thinking about framing the words I will preach and writing my notes . . . all without any pressure of deadlines.
I must admit there is evidently rest in taking Greta shopping, in eating at restaurants and in seeing new places. Regrettably, my father is no longer around for me to try to change his mind about movies, but I am sure he would approve of all those other ways of resting.
Stay safe, take time to recharge, trust God,
Pastor Ray