In the midst of this pandemic, in a way God has allowed the pause button to be pushed on the normal way we do things. I believe that God is inviting us to recalibrate our lives in this time and find real rest. Rest is a fundamental part of our human lives. In particular, we as followers of Jesus find our rest in our identity and rest in Jesus. Real Rest involves 4 components, Stopping, Resting, delighting and Pondering.
Stop
August 16, 2020
Rest
August 23, 2020
Practicing God’s Sabbath means more than just stopping work. If you work from home, then Sabbath might mean you need a change of scenery! As we stop from our work, God invites us to find rest--to rest from our worries, our tough decisions, our hurry. God invites us to rest in Him. This can and should look different for each of us. As a pastor whose job involves a lot of thinking and deep conversations, I find rest in doing projects around the house! As the Bible tells us, the Sabbath is designed to serve us. Not the other way around. While God’s command is clear in the Old Testament, Jesus brings a new vision for what Sabbath-keeping is, and it is marked by doing restful things that replenish us.
Delight
August 30, 2020
When Lindsay and I first went to visit Sedona for our first call to find a place to live and meet the congregation, we landed in Phoenix at night and made the 2 hour drive in the dark. I will never forget the astonishment that I experienced the first time I looked outside in the daylight and saw the beauty of the red rocks. At first, sitting on the back patio watching the colors change on the rocks as the sun set was a weekly if not nightly practice. But as time passed, we became accustomed to our surroundings zipping along with the local traffic.
It happens to us all as people. What has God given you to delight in that you are taking for granted? What do you need to look at again in gratitude, a spouse? a child? His Creation? God blesses us with things to delight in not because he has to, but because he loves us. May God's spirit renew your ability to delight in the gifts that He has given you as we talk about "Delight" this weekend as part of our Pause series.