By Kelly Akins
As we come to worship today, the theme that keeps coming back to me is that of rest. Summer is a busy time, and many people take vacations, which are designed for us to get away from the constant occupation of life, to relax, reflect and renew so that we are ready for what is to come.
If you’ve been on vacation, I hope you had time to do some of those things. For some, vacations mean simply trading their everyday busyness for a different activity list. Maybe you’re visiting a new city and can’t wait to see all the excitement it has to offer, resulting in a mad dash from one place to another. We all, however, need a time to withdraw, rest and maybe — dare I say it? — do nothing.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus withdrew to a deserted place because he was tired and weary. He needed to rest and renew his spirit and his body. Our call to worship acknowledges that we are weary and in need of renewal. We are exhausted from the work of love and justice, the hurry from here to there and the never-ending tasks that must be done. It seems like there are always things to do in this loud, busy world. Some of those activities have meaningful purpose, but some are just time fillers. Where do you find your rest, your chance to reflect and renew?
Rest can be defined as a “period of inactivity, relaxation or sleep to recover physical or mental strength.” In physics, an object at rest is stationary or not moving, which is relative to a specific reference frame. In music, a rest is a marked pause or silence. The silence is as important, if not more important, than the notes that are played. To rest can also mean something that can be used as a support, such as a cane or other object to lean on or steady yourself.
There are two hymns in the service today that speak of rest. Jeff will play “Be Still My Soul” during the passing of the cup. The words to this hymn are on page 57 in our hymnal. This is a beautiful melody, and I hope that you will allow yourself to be still and rest. The last hymn is “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.” Listen to the words of the first verse:
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.
God invites us to cease from the anxiousness of everyday life, to trust, to find peace in the present and lean into God’s promises. May it be so. Amen.