about this weekend…

I woke up this morning rested.  I slept well.  What makes for a good nights rest?  For me, it’s the ability to turn things off.  If I can actually cease and desist all activities both physically and mentally, a restoring rest takes shape.  This isn’t always the case though.

Have you seen the amount of sleep aids, gadgets, and marketed suggestions all designed to help you rest?  Wow.  With the plethora of snooze starters, there must be a real problem out there.  What DOES keep so many people from a replenishing rest?  It’s possible deeper issues are at work.  Struggles with approval, self-esteem, pace of life, acceptance, and achievement could be robbing our souls of some down time.

Is it any wonder God calls us to rest?  In fact, he set a deep principle into scripture called a Sabbath.  When’s the last time you considered the need for a good Sabbath’s day rest?  Some religious folks during Jesus’ day turned a day of rest into burdensome legalism.  A Godly mandate to cease and desist turned into 39 categories (with hundreds of sub points and applications) of what you can’t do on a Sabbath.  For instance, you couldn’t walk beyond 3,000 feet.  A woman couldn’t look into a mirror because she might see a gray hair and pluck it.  You couldn’t bathe in a tub for fear of splashing water on the floor — and that would become work.  You could only lift a certain amount of weight.  You couldn’t put on a Band-Aid — unless an injury was life threatening.

Can imagine New Jersey Governor Chris Christie not being able help someone during the recent Sandy Hurricane because of the Sabbath?  I loved hearing the Governor say, “I don’t care about Election Day. It doesn’t matter a lick to me at the moment. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.  I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff.  I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power. I’ve got devastation on the Shore. I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.”

If it was the Sabbath, Governor Christie would not be considered very Jewish.

Why would religious folks take away the very heart of rest and restoration the Sabbath was designed for?  Why are we an exhausted and unrested people?  Are there even deeper truths of the Sabbath that apply for our tired souls?

This Sunday, I’m praying Deep calls to your deep.  This weekend as we gather, I pray you’ll discover some deeper truths and soulful rest that will breathe life into you and not more burden.  We’ll be looking deeper into Mark 2:23-3:6 because life IS hard.  Hurricanes can remind us of this fact.  We need rest.  God is love, and wants more for you and me.  Let’s talk.  Bring a friend!

Blessings,

Upcoming Events (click buttons for details)

Please Note:  In light of 24/7 Prayer, there will be no Prayer Gathering on November 7.

Weekly Giving (10/28/2012)
$22,463.25

Weekly Need
$23,000.00

Attendance (10/28/2012)
742