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Location: Blogs Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive |
 | | Posted by: Brad Miller | 8/13/2009 8:15 AM | Greetings!
Recently a friend of mine returned from a vacation in Hawaii. When I asked how her trip was, she said, “You know, I told my husband, ‘I really like vacations.”” What made this statement all the more amazing is that my friend is definitely a workaholic, unable to rest if there is something, anything that needs doing. It is a sign of our times that too many people don’t take enough time off, and my friend, while aware of that, is beginning to understand the value of that time off.
During my time away from you I spent some of it at the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, Indiana. I like the assemblies because they give me a chance to meet up with old friends, to participate in different styles of worship and to simply get a sense of being a part of the “larger” church. But this assembly, while allowing all those things to happen, left me a little concerned and a little baffled. Within the first 24 hours of the assembly, I had three different conversations where the other person rattled off a litany of activities they were involved in, talked about how they never got a break, hadn’t had a vacation in years, routinely went weeks without a day off. I was concerned because I was afraid for their health, and I was baffled because each of these people seemed to be bragging. I am also very confused because they were all clergy and they seemed to be ignoring and downright defying one of the important tenets of our faith: the idea of Sabbath.
I know that this sometimes can be a soapbox issue of mine, but I continue to harp on it because I have seen firsthand the ravages of burnout on people who cannot or will not take Sabbath time for themselves. We are not machines. We are not indispensable. We are not the only people in the world who are working hard. We ignore the scriptural imperative of Sabbath at our own peril. The fact is, for almost anything we can name, taking a day off, or even taking two weeks off, will not cause irreparable harm. The task will still be there. And after rest and renewal, we will be much better able to handle the task at hand, more efficiently and more effectively.
We live in a busy world. But if we hope to stay productive in our world it is vital that we give ourselves permission to rest, to vacate, to recharge our batteries when we need. While we take a break, someone else can carry on. And here’s the beauty, when they take a break, we can help carry their load.
It is good to be back at it. I enjoy what I do. But come Friday, I will gladly take my day off to rest and recharge. When it is time for another vacation, I will head out with the clear intention of putting the work of the church behind me and having some time for relaxation. And I won’t feel guilty about it. Not in the least bit. I’m simply doing my best to live as God has asked us to live. I hope you do, too.
For an updated prayer list and a an updated list of upcoming activities, please go to www.brookhavenchristian.org
For your prayer list:
Please keep Tommy Wilson in your prayers as he deals with a case of shingles.
Please keep Randy Rawson in your prayers. Randy is awaiting test results to see if a new found mass is cancerous. Randy is the younger brother of Wendy Miles.
Upcoming Activities
Don’t forget this Sunday’s special activities. First, there will be a very special worship service in which we recognize and celebrate the leave taking of our Cambodian brothers and sisters in the International Christian Church. That will be followed by a wonderful Third Sunday Pot Luck Fellowship Luncheon. Please bring a dish or two to pass and wish our Cambodian family well.
I hope you will all be in worship this Sunday as we once again celebrate the Lord’s Day together. The sermon is titled “Wise Living” and the scripture is Ephesians 5: 15-20.
Be peaceful,
Brad | | | Permalink | Trackback |
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