Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Tuesday, 3 June 2014 "The work-rest rhythm of life"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Tuesday, 3 June 2014 "The work-rest rhythm of life"
Daily Scripture:  Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
Reflection Questions:
Usually when we think about the Sabbath commandment, we focus on the idea of rest. But rest is only one part of the life rhythm that the commandment envisioned. If there is no work, rest becomes nothing more than pointless self-indulgence. And if there is no rest, work becomes an intolerable, destructive burden. Life becomes full and meaningful in the alternating rhythm of "six days" and "Sabbath."
The archetypal story (Genesis 2:1-3, to which Exodus 20:8-11 alluded) said God rested after the work of creation, "blessed the seventh day and made it holy." God, infinite in strength, did not need to rest due to physical tiredness. God blessed the seventh day as a rest, or Sabbath, for humans. God knew what is best for us. In our ever-busier world, how can you heed God's intent that there be a Sabbath day every week?
Verse 10 assumed the chance that a person seeking to obey the commandment might have "servants," "animals," even "immigrants" in the household. The command did NOT say, "You rest, but be sure to keep your servants busy"—it took for granted the same rest for all. In what ways, if any, does that principle bear on our ethical choices today with regard to workers' rights, the growing gap in pay levels for CEO's and other workers, the availability of child care or health care, and other workplace issues?
Today's Prayer:
God, help me use my "six days" well, in whatever ways I work to bless others and advance your kingdom. And when I set that work aside for Sabbath rest, remind me that the job of keeping the world going is yours, not mine. Amen.
Insight from Sam Johnson
Sam Johnson is serving as a summer intern in Congregational Care at The Church of the Resurrection.
Society has taught us to be enamored with the idea of “keeping busy.” To-do lists have become an essential tool that dictate and shape the rhythm of our day. More often than not, the idea of resting hangs lower on our to-do lists, right after, “Just one more phone call and I’ll be done” or “Just a few more emails and I’ll be done.”
I am the queen of to-do lists. I find twisted joy in always knowing where I’m headed next. Most of the time my lists look similar to this:
-          Write thirteen-page paper for religion class while eating breakfast
-          Complete six pages of statistics homework during my ten minute commute to work
-          Call to cancel meeting
-          Call and attempt to squeeze the meeting in, which I clearly don’t have time for
-          Skip lunch in order to save the world
-          Respond to twenty five emails while walking to the bathroom
-          Breathe/Rest (maybe)
Obviously, I over-dramatized my day slightly (I clearly would have saved the world before lunch…). I have to pencil-in a time to breathe and (maybe) rest in my to-do list. My whole life is scheduled, minute by minute. I’m obsessed with “keeping busy” and I find myself striving to fit fifteen hours worth of work into eight hours. As a college student who desires to please everyone – professors, supervisors, and my mom – I forget how important it is to find the time to rest for myself.
In Exodus 20:8-11, the beauty of God’s intent for rest is made clear – “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.” God desires for us to keep busy and work hard, but he also desires for us to find peace in the heart of rest. It’s difficult to find time to not only rest, but enjoy rest. God designed the Sabbath to be a day for His precious creation to rest in the comfort of His love for us. Whether our rest includes getting coffee with a friend or watching a movie with your family, rest is invaluable.
So the question is, how will you pencil-in rest this week?
Today’s Scripture again:
Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
May you enjoy seeking and finding rest in God this week.
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