The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and
they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. –
Mark 6:30-32
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy . . . (Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin)
Dear Friends,
I don’t really know how, but summer is here and we have somehow gotten to July.
It’s the season of vacations and trips to the beach or mountains, of family reunions, picnics in the
park, and poolside playdates. It’s time to sit in the shade (or lay in the hammock in the shade) with a
cold glass of iced tea and listen to a ballgame or music on the radio. It’s a season of rest, relaxation
and rejuvenation. Or it should be . . .
It’s increasingly hard to “shut down” and truly get away. Our many devices and communication
platforms require us to be vigilant about creating true quiet time. Imagine if Jesus had called the 12
away to a quiet place to rest and they had said “Just let us check our emails and answer a few texts
and post a couple of pics on Facebook before we rest.”
Psalm 46:10 begins, “Be still, and know that I am God”; and some of us need to admit that we really
aren’t still very often or for very long. We fill our weekends (including our Sundays, traditionally
Sabbath days for rest) with errands and activities and kid ourselves into believing that an hour or
two of leisure at some point over the weekend is enough rest to get us through the grind of the
week. Even those of us who are retired need to remember to create space and time when we can
truly “Be Still”.
God has work for us to do, and we can’t do it at our best if we are harried and frazzled. We cannot
present our best selves to the world if we are running on fumes.
If you have a vacation coming up, be sure to leave some space empty on your calendar of activities.
Leave a little room for God’s Spirit to settle in. And as the rest of us look at our to-do lists, let’s add
one more line that reads “Be Still.”
Peace,
Pastor Layne