Rest a While

Dear friends,

Wherever this message finds you, I pray God is leading you beside still waters and shepherding you to true rest.

Today’s worship service, in its entirety, may be viewed here:

If you’d prefer to listen to only the gospel reading and sermon, you may do so here:

Today’s sermon is based on the assigned readings for this day.

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
You restore my soul, O Lord, and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Beloved of God, grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

I love everything about The Landing—convenient, since we now live just a few blocks from this modern food hall with delicious food and drink options and lovely indoor and outdoor seating.

I love everything about The Landing, but perhaps what I love most are the words gracing the front windows. Provisions for the Journey, proclaims the large print near the front doors.

And then, the provisions themselves, or perhaps the journey—word after word—parading along the bottom edge of the windows: drink, relax, enjoy, welcome, listen, learn, gather, eat, nurture, serve, imagine, strengthen, teach, encourage, wander, community, create, shop, plant, grow, imagine, drift, hope, savor.

I look at these words and I wonder what my list would include, what your list would include, what God’s list—created for this beloved world—would include. What are those elements of our journey that are essential for landing? What does God provide for us along the way?

Today’s scripture readings are replete with words that could be stenciled on our own windows, on our own hearts. The prophet Jeremiah speaks the word of God. When the shepherds of God’s people fail to do their job, fail to attend to the sheep of God’s pasture, then God will provide shepherds who will shepherd. We could gather this string of words from Jeremiah: Attend. Gather. Raise up. Shepherd.

The psalmist paints a portrait of God as shepherd. Lead. Restore. Guide. Comfort. Prepare a table. Anoint. Dwell. We dwell in God as God, our shepherd, dwells with us.

The author of the letter to the Ephesians is a bit wordier, so our list becomes one of phrases rather than single words. This is what Jesus provides for our journey as a global community.

Jesus brings you near, breaks down the dividing wall, abolishes the law, creates one humanity, makes peace, reconciles you to God, puts to death hostility. By the provision of God through Jesus, we are one, all members of the household of God, citizens with the saints, a dwelling place for God.

It’s our gospel reading for today, though, in which I feel invited to land. I can just see these apostles gathered around Jesus. He has equipped them, sent them, provided opportunity for them to stretch and grow and exercise these gifts God has given them for witness and service in the world…and now they’re back to their landing place. They gather around Jesus to tell him all that they’ve done and taught.

Are they excited as they tell Jesus what has happened? Are they bubbling over with enthusiasm to keep on going? Jesus had sent them out two by two, ordering them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts. What was it like for them to rely solely on God’s provision? Were they eager to talk about that experience? To tell Jesus how liberating and powerful it was to be so aware of God providing for their every need?

He had also told them what to do if any place refused to welcome them, refused to hear them. As you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them. Had they experienced this kind of rejection? Did it startle them, wound them, cause them to question their calling even though Jesus had tried to prepare them in advance? As they gathered around Jesus, did they tell him about those places, and those people, that took the wind out of their sails?

Mark tells us that the twelve went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Imagine their joy—and awe—at being instruments through whom God worked healing and delivered hope.

Were they overwhelmed by the responsibility? Were they beginning to sense the scope of the need? Were they anxious about how God might continue to work through them, worried that their energy and capacity might wane as the weeks and years went on? Did they share these concerns with Jesus?

Mark doesn’t invite us to know exactly what the apostles said when they gathered around Jesus, and that absence of detail invites us to imagine what we might say, to consider what we do say to Jesus.

What Mark does make clear is Jesus’ response. Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.

Rest.

That’s the word I want to be sure to include on any list of provisions for the journey. That’s the word I’m begging God to stencil on the windows of our hearts and minds. Rest is one of those elements of the journey that is essential for landing, for being at home wherever we are.

Jesus knows this. He listens to all that the apostles—his friends, his students—wish to share with him, eagerly or despondently, and then he invites them to rest a while, away from the crowds, away from the pressing need, away from the demands on their time and energy, away not for forever, but for a while.

And when the crowd remains—so many sheep without a shepherd, so many beloved ones in need of hope, so many coming and going, hurrying toward help, begging for healing—Jesus remains present, has compassion on the crowd, and provides what is needed.

You can rest. We can rest. Jesus remains on the job, shepherding God’s people. Jesus’ invitation to you to come away and rest for a while, is Jesus shepherding you to abundant life, making of you a dwelling for God, providing for your journey, offering you a landing place until it’s time to take flight once more.

Relax, enjoy, welcome, listen, learn, gather, eat, nurture, serve, imagine, strengthen, teach, encourage, wander, create, plant, grow, drift, hope, savor, attend, shepherd, lead, restore, guide, comfort, dwell, reconcile, and rest.