So I've been thinking lately about rest and hurry. My two week vacation in the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia fishing, hiking, reading, and playing really calmed me, refocused me, and reminded me that life is a gift. It also bubbled up a question,"Why was I in such a hurry all of the time back home?" This is kind of a stupid question that only gets asked on vacation. The answer is self-evident. My job requires me to be responsible to hundreds of people and on call. I have two small children. My wife runs her own business. And modern life not only spreads us out in many directions but our gadgets keep us continuously "plugged in." There is never a day when I go home with my task list all checked off the blackberry, rarely a day when I say to myself, "Well, what do I do now?"
I read this book over the summer called, Living The Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight by Norman Wirzba. A key theme that grabbed me was the point that God set apart a Sabbath day for rest and delight! DELIGHT! So much of modern life in America is so full of so many good things, yet so many people seem so discontent, often, including me. So I've been struck lately by the importance of taking the time to rest and simply open my eyes to all of the good gifts that are around me. I've been practicing the art of enjoyment!
At Lakeside Fellowship United Methodist Church in Sanford, Florida where I pastor, I started a sermon series last Sunday called, "Rhythms of Sabbath." Last week we learned what Sabbath is from Genesis 2: 1-3. Sabbath is a day God sets apart for rest, enjoyment, and refreshment in relationship to his creation. The next three weeks we will tackle these questions: How is the Sabbath Holy? What is the relationship between work and Sabbath? How is Sabbath a taste of the Kingdom of God? For more information on the series, please visit http://www.lakesidefellowship.org/ see the video of the sermons on http://www.lakesidevideos.com/ or visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lakesidefellowshipumc.
In the meantime, I would like to hear from you. What do you do for rest? What is your understanding of the Sabbath? How do you take time to practice the art of enjoyment and the praise of God?
