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Coming and going, They always were coming and going. They had been on the road for a while. Their sandals were worn out; Their cloaks were a little threadbare. Their walking sticks had seen many miles, And they had many – so many – stories and memories to share. Upon their return, they gather around their teacher. They all begin talking at once. Rabbi! Rabbi! You should have been there – We came to a village and they were waiting for us. Can you imagine it? Waiting for us?! We did just as you told us – We called upon the name of God, And the demons went packing! We took the oil, And smoothed it on the foreheads of those who were sick, And they were healed – Sometimes by rising up in body, And sometimes rising up in spirit. Rabbi, Rabbi! It was little scary when we first started out.. You know, you told us not to take any extra money or food or equipment for the journey. And we wondered how we were going to eat, And where we were going to sleep. Let’s be honest, guys. We fought about this for the first few days. Some of us wanted to get some extra supplies – You know, Just in case we weren’t welcome in a certain village or house. The sand you told us to shake off of our sandals just wasn’t going to sustain us! Others of us said that we should trust and see what happened. And here’s what happened: There were some days, There were some days when we didn’t have a meal, And we had to sleep under the stars with a stone for a pillow, But then we’d come upon a town and we’d be given a feast, And a bed, And the opportunity to share the message: Turn your lives around! Grace is for everyone! Turn your lives around! Healing is possible! Turn your lives around and give thanks to God Jesus looks and listens to them, Smiles a little to himself. They were different – They had started out as a motley crew of former fisherman and now were a newly formed band of apostles. He could see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices. They knew, They really knew, the joy – and the cost – of following in God’s ways. Jesus looks at them – Exhilarated but exhausted. And like a good shepherd, he knows what they need. Come away with me, he says. Amid their sharing – and sometimes as was their way – their shouting – it was hard at first to hear what Jesus was saying. Come away, come away with me. They stopped their chatter and listened. Come to a place alone and off the path, Come to be refreshed and renewed. Jesus, Jesus, They said. You don’t get it: This is only a quick stop. We’re on the brink of something new… We’ve got places to go - So many more villages and towns And people to see and teach and heal. You know, the parables you taught us about faith and the kingdom of God – we want to share those with others so they can come to new life, too. We’ve barely got time to sit down and talk with you, Never mind about getting something to eat. Come and be with me, Jesus says again. Leave the work behind. Leave the busy-ness behind. Come on, get in the boat. Friends, Jesus makes the same invitation to us. Can we - Will we – follow his invitation to rest a while, To leave behind our hurried and harried and hassled lives, To let go of the worry and the responsibilities and the challenges of our personal lives and our church life? Jesus knows our lives, too – Our comings and goings. He knows we have families we love to take care of, Children – and parents - that need our attention, He knows the worry that’s in our hearts, And the grief that breaks them. Jesus knows the pressures and stress we feel – Long work hours, deadlines to meet, or for some, The anxiety of no work at all. Jesus knows we that often get overwhelmed by all that we do in our lives – giving more, producing more, caring more, accomplishing more. Our lives can be so busy,.even when it is filled with good things of family and friends and serving others. So many of us are exhausted – emotionally, physically, and yes, even spiritually. Jesus knows our lives and says to us: Come away to a deserted place, A quiet place and rest. Get in the boat with me. That sounds so good, doesn’t it? And yet, and yet, maybe you’re a little like me… While I crave the rest and renewal that Jesus offers, I’m not so sure I want to get away just yet. Why are we so reluctant to get into the boat? Maybe it’s that good old Protestant work ethic. You know the belief that we fulfill our duty to God by working hard. Now that’s not a bad thing in and of itself. It’s when we link that work to our salvation, As if it’s our hard work that is going to earn us God’s love and grace. Taking it easy, Doing nothing related to our jobs or our responsibilities, doesn’t seem right or righteous. And while most of us might dismiss this as an outdated belief, We sometimes function – Especially in the church – As if that were really true. Then there’s the times we function like atheists - Yes, friends, atheists. Theologian and teacher John Westerhoff says modern atheism Is characterized by this affirmation: “I don’t do it, It won’t happen.” Friends, it’s hard to get into the boat, isn’t it, when we believe that we’re the only one that can do something, Or the only one that can do something right! Once we realize that it’s really okay to stop working and doing and that we can trust God and God’s grace, we’re getting closer to getting on the boat. As I’m getting ready to get on, Jesus stops me, though. Come away with me – But you can’t take all your equipment! Carrying Computers, cell phones, ipods, pagers won’t do. Going to the beach and finding the first Starbucks or Barnes and Noble where they have free wi-fi! is really not a rest! We need to get in the boat without all the gadgets that usually occupy our time, our minds, and our hearts. Spending some time with Jesus means letting go and being still for a few minutes, a few hours, a few days. It means being willing to take some time and listen – To our lives and to our Lord. Reading is one of the ways that I try to listen and respond to Jesus’ invitation to come away for a while, taking some time to savor the words, the ideas, the emotions of the books in the presence of God. One of the books I’ve been reading lately is entitled Altar in the World by teacher and preacher Barbara Brown Taylor. She writes about different practices that we can incorporate into our lives to live more fully and faithfully as God’s children. The title of the 8th chapter is “The Practice of Saying No,” and in it Taylor reminds me that how our lives are shaped by saying “yes” to more and more. All those “yeses” prevent us from hearing Jesus’ invitation to us and stifles any Sabbath rest time we might fit into our schedules. Friends, maybe before we can say “yes” to Jesus, We might have to say no to some other things: No, I won’t keep my cell phone on at all times. No, I want to stay home tonight. No, I have enough work for now. No, I have all the possessions I need. Friends, Mark tells us the apostles said “YES” to Jesus’ invitation. They got on the boat, and stopped their lives for a while. You’ll remember that it wasn’t for too long – The crowds gathered as soon as they landed. But they had that time with Jesus – And that was enough for the moment. And it can be enough for us too. We can lay aside our lives for a short while to be with Jesus. Maybe it’s for one hour in this sanctuary. Maybe it’s for one morning on your porch or patio. Maybe it’s for one afternoon down by the river. Maybe it’s for one day at the beach. Come away with me, Jesus says. Come away to a quiet place and rest. Friends, Let’s get in the boat. Amen. |