All good things come to an end, the saying goes. Maybe not, but holidays and vacations do! Even the Transfiguration, that mountain-top experience of Jesus and his friends, ended not with enshrining the moment and seeking to live in it forever — but in coming down the mountain, focusing on Jerusalem and the very hard “work” ahead.
The purpose of the Sabbath was indeed to step back from one’s work, to realize that we do not exist only to be productive and that we are not possessed by our possessions, but ultimately and finally children of the living God. But that very sabbath experience of rest and re-creation had, as one of its tanglible results, the effect of letting one start over again, refreshed and renewed, for the tasks of living and the work of ministry.
So, lazy summer days of (in our case) jazz festivals, state fairs, visits with parents, chidren and grandchildren, naps in the afternoon (and sometimes in the morning!), working on our house and in the yard, reading mindless novels, and more leisurely and reflective prayer times must come to an end for now. May we carry something of this quality into the busy-ness of our working days.
And may we be even more fit for God’s service in the days, weeks, and months ahead!
That We All May Be One 
August 21, 2007 at 12:29 pm |
Thank you, this is so true.