Rest-is-a-comin'

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Rest, sabbath, quality-time, enjoyment, family time, friends, food, fellowship, stillness, laughter, peace, recycle, renewal, refreshment....

It's something that we take for granted and admittedly pastors feel they rarely get to experience it. Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around. So as its approaching, i wanna do something special on this day.

I want every sabbath to be a special day in which i can share some time with my Jesus and gain new insights, fresh encouragement and read some more of those love-letters.

If i could share the best thing about sabbath...its the way that it grows more precious with time. The older i get the more i love it, i love the children's story and i love the fellowship meal and i love the youth involvement. I love what it does for me but what it allows me to do for other people.

So, my aim is to be more creative in expressing my love upwards and outwards on this day. To show that Jesus has been in the other six days of my week and that i can't wait to share what he has done for me. To be able to sit with those who hurt and also process my own pain...not be afraid of soiling the sanctuary with my tears and fears and great needs...

Ultimately to be real on this rest day and to make a special effort to open my heart and soul to the miracles that i believe Jesus wants to dish out on this day. If nothing else i want to be able to breathe fresher air, inhale some mo' spirit, touch some mo' hearts, speak to some of the issues facing our youth.

If mission has a place in my week, there's no better way to share than on this sacred day. It's a covenant sign between me and my God. It's a promise of our love and relationship and its a reminder for me to not forget...not forget....that's why it comes around every 7 days....

He knew that it would take me a short time to forget, so he didn't make it every month, quarter or 50 years like the year of Jubilee...he made it come around every 7 days...why?

Because my heart sometimes forgets and my mind wanders, body gets tired and spirit weakness...but just when i think i can't hold on anymore, when revision seems fruitless, when friends seem scarce, when loneliness sets in, when cares overwhelm, when needs are neglected and not being met, when greed and gain motivate my day, when over-working myself seems like the only purge for my sins of procrastination, when i feel like i need a fresh start and the week has been stale...i look up and hold my breathe as the rest-day is ushered in and i begin to see hope once more...

Sabbath isn't for perfect people or righteous people..it's for you and me, humans who need God. It's a gift (every week) that reminds us of this sacred and inexplicable love that sacrificed divinity for you and me...if anything i have failed to see this gift in its beauty...but tomorrow at sunset i wanna open my heart to your gift once again..actually i wanna do it right now...

And i pray that you will be the heart-opener for everyone as you prepare us to receive this gift again...YOUR LOVE IS SO AWESOME, i could write about it all night looooooong...but I'm afraid it's too deep for me.