In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus hits the ground running. The writer of the gospel describes
innumerable act of ministry, healings, miracles, teaching, and preaching . . .
it is non-stop action. So it was also
for his disciples. As you remember from
a few weeks ago, Jesus sent the disciples out on their first assignment to go
forth and preach the good news and preform ministry on those they encountered
in nearby villages . . . a hugely successful endeavor. Thus it should not come a surprise that we
find Jesus urging his disciples to “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place
and get some rest.”
Jesus and the disciples were
tired. They needed rest . . . they
needed nourishment . . . they needed time to refill. They needed time to refill their bodies and
their ultimately their souls. They
needed respite.
The definition of “respite” is “an
interval of rest and relief . . . a temporary suspension or reprieve.” In many cultures throughout the world there
is an understanding about the usefulness and power in “taking a break”. In some cultures there is the practice of
siesta or the mid-day nap. Basically
everything shuts down while people relax and nap before heading back to work or
their daily tasks. Research has shown
that workers are more productive in the workplace if they are allowed to take a
nap. Now mind you, we are not talking
about the good two-hour drool out of your mouth sort of nap, but a quick five
minute snooze. Researchers have found
that this re-energizes and helps the workers focus on the tasks before
them. In many professional occupations
they have harnessed the power of sabbaticals to re-energize themselves and be
more productive in their professions. It
is all respite . . . rest for the mind, body, and soul.
What Jesus was suggesting to the disciples
was not some random practice, but a discipline that he himself practiced. Throughout the gospels we are told and
reminded of the times that Jesus went off to be by himself . . . that he went
to a quiet place . . . to rest . . . to pray . . . to find respite for the
soul. And, we are also told and reminded
by those same writers that each time he came out of those times of respite that
he jumped by into the fray of his ministry with new-founded focus, power, and
effectiveness.
Hearing this prompting of Jesus to his
disciples to “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest”
. . . well, we, too, are called to do the same within our lives. We are called upon to be good stewards of our
lives and our faith. We are called to
the practice and discipline of “respite for the soul”. We are called to intervals of rest and
relief . . . times of suspension and reprieve from the busyness of our lives.
The bottom line is we all need a break
every once in a while . . . if not more.
At the university I work in an office
that has seen many of my co-workers dealing with aging parents. Many of my co-workers parents have gotten
older and their bodies have begun the process of change. Some of them have seen their parent’s health
and bodies deteriorate . . . seen more hospitalizations . . . and they have
witnessed their once strong and independent parents become more and more
dependent as age exerts itself upon them.
They have seen their parents drop into that shadowland of dementia and
Alzheimer’s . . . lost in a fog that only briefly allows their parents to be
themselves. Thus they are spending a lot
of their free time with their parents to meet their needs and to make sure they
are safe . . . most of them are spending all of their spare time taking care of
their aging parents.
The result is that they are tired . .
. well, actually they are exhausted.
Their exhausted is affecting their lives. They are not as sharp as they normally are in
the office . . . it is hard to be sharp when one is tired. They are worn out. I know that I am preaching to the choir as
some of you have had to take care of your parents or other loved ones in
similar situations. Over and over again,
many of co-workers have said that it was a relief just to come to work and to
get away from the constant demand of caring for a loved one. That despite the fact that it is “work”, they
were finding a sort of respite. Thus it
is that they put in their forty hours before they head back to the grind of it
all.
Office workers know the power of
respite through coffee breaks. Teachers
know the power of respite through recesses.
Sport teams know the power of the timeout. All of us know the power of the nap. Even the shows that we watch on television
understand the power of taking a moment away from the action to help viewers
focus on the upcoming action . . . thus commercials. Even society is beginning to understand the
power and need for respite.
There are respite businesses . . .
especially for those taking care of elderly parents or loved one with
disabilities. These businesses come to
the home and provide relief to the caretaker by spending a few hours taking
care of the parent or loved one, while giving the actual caretaker a few hours
of relief and time away.
In the world of work respite comes in
many forms . . . there are days off, holidays, vacation. All are meant to give the workers time off to
rest and rejuvenate.
So it should be with our faith.
Coming to worship on Sunday morning is
a good way to start the practice of “respite for the soul”. Sunday worship is a break from the normal and
regular tasks of our lives. It allows us
the opportunity to drop what we are doing and to go and focus on something else
. . . in this case, God and Jesus and our faith. It provides us rest . . . a sermon is always
a good time for a quick five-minute power nap.
But most of all it allows us time away from the busyness of our lives. I would encourage everyone to get into the
habit of coming to worship on Sunday mornings to find some respite for the
soul.
Yet, at the same time, I would tell
you that that is not enough when it comes to giving rest to the soul. We all need more.
How many times in the past week have
you said to yourself, I need a break? Or
maybe you said that it was time for a vacation . . . or that you just needed to
get away. How many times this past week
have you yearned for a nap, but instead powered on with the tasks before you? How many times did you catch yourself getting
frustrated with someone you love wishing that maybe they would go away for a
while? How many times in the past week
have you just wished that you could be by yourself . . . to read a book, to
listen to some music, to go for a walk?
If this is happening to you then the Spirit is talking to you . . .
telling you that you need some respite for the soul. That you need an interval of rest and relief.
Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a
quiet place and get some rest.”
As the followers of Jesus we would do
good to heed his words. Jesus knows what
he is talking about . . . the soul needs respite. The soul needs respite if it is going to
effectively live up to the demands of living life in the way that God has
blessed us . . . if it is going to be effective in the ministries placed upon
us . . . and, if we are going to survive in such a way that we fulfill God’s
will for each of us. We, the followers
of Jesus, need those times of rest and relief.
Yes, there is much work to be done, but that work cannot be done if we
are exhausted, frustrated, and angry because we are tired.
The challenge is to develop a
discipline of respite. True, we start
with worship on Sunday mornings . . . which is also a gift we can give to
others by inviting them to join us in worship each week. But there needs to be more. Begin to practice giving yourselves the gift
of respite in your own lives away from the church on Sunday morning. Find a quiet place in your homes to pause,
reflect, pray, and find rest. Find a
place in yourself where you can go and take a deep breath to find rest. Take a few moments to read . . . the Bible or
some other book that takes you away for a few moments. Close your eyes and allow yourselves a moment
of rest.
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