“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. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done.” – Genesis 2: 2&3
Dear Sisters and Brothers, Friends in Christ,
Work and rest, rest and then back to work; this is the rhythm of all of God and God’s Creation. Even creative, fulfilling, and meaningful work (think about creating the Universe and all that is in it sometime) cannot be sustained without rest.
An example of the need for rest before getting back to work again, is the final tour of Spirit Bound. I wrote about this last month (and you can read the article “Change and the Future of CV” at www.pastorontheloose.com). The issue is that before continuing the creative process of work, we all need rest. Even a group, a ministry, or program needs to take a rest.
The issue that we modern day Americans seem to struggle with is, “What kind of rest?” What can we do, or stop doing, that will actually give us the rest of mind, body, and soul that we need, for the sake of our continued work and creativity in the world? It’s an interesting paradox, of course, since God just stopped creating and rested; God didn’t “do” anything, just rested. And that certainly is the antithesis of our Mid-western American work ethic.
So, to get you thinking about your own summer plans and intentions, here are some of the things I plan to do this summer to find rest for my body, mind, and soul, and relationships:
Family time in Wisconsin and Lanesboro– I am planning on spending time at our family cabin in Wisconsin and at my in-laws outside of Lanesboro, MN, fishing, boating, swimming, bbqing, biking, and sitting by the fire and watching the stars at night.
Reading and music – I have a stack of books to read this summer. The top three are Diana Butler Bass’s, A People’s History of Christianity, Corrine Ware’s, Discovering Your Spiritual Type, and John J. O’Meara’s, Voyage of St. Brendan. I’m also planning on attending some of the free concerts in the parks that are offered around the Twin Cities, especially Mears Park in St. Paul and Alive at 5 at Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis.
Exercise and meditation – Join me on Tuesday mornings at 9am in the Fellowship Hall for Tai Chi exercises. We use Tai Chi forms and moves for 45 minutes of low-impact exercising and stretching. The Chinese sometimes call this moving meditation. I am also continuing my spiritual growth through daily meditation, using STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to help me focus on God. (*See the link on my blog)
Worship, WAPO, VBS, and Tanzania – I’d be a liar if I said that worship wasn’t critically important to refreshing my soul, re-focusing and de-stressing. So I look forward to worshipping with you all this summer. I’m also looking forward to visiting our kids at WAPO this summer and to a fun week of VBS! And even though there won’t be a lot of rest, I am incredibly excited to be going on the mission trip to Tanzania as an ambassador from our church in August!
Your list may be different than mine. And what may look non-spiritual to you on the surface, is in fact deeply spiritual to me. It may not seem like rest to you, but it is for me. I offer my list and plan not for you to copy, but to get you thinking and planning for your own rest and renewal this summer.
May the Lord God, who gives the gift of rest, lead and guide you into rest for your body, mind, soul, and relationships!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Kent Claussen Gubrud
