As you read this, I am coming to the end of a week of vacation, a week in which I could see my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson for the first time in months, and be introduced to my granddaughter for the first time ever. I am certain that it has been a blessing.
Yet, I’ll also be honest – I have a hard time taking time off; I have a hard time relaxing. There’s always more work to be done; there’s always another ministerial task that needs to be performed. Who has time to rest? How can we afford to take a week away from it all? I heard once that a minister had said, “I don’t take a day off because the devil sure doesn’t.” To this someone responded, “Well then, you’re following the wrong example, aren’t you?”
Jesus regularly took time away from his ministry. He regularly (sometimes daily) escaped away by himself to spend time with his Father. God commanded that we should take one day of the week and hold it as a sabbath, a holy day between us and God, a day of rest, following God’s example during The Creation of the world. These are the examples that we are called to uphold.
This past year has been the toughest that any of us have faced in ministry. Someone told me a couple of weeks ago that they are having to work three times harder to do the same job they were doing before the pandemic struck our world. Three times more work that has to be done in the same amount of time! No wonder we are tired. No wonder we are in need of rest. No wonder I am on vacation!
Pastors in our Conference are requested to take four weeks of vacation every year. I’m not sure when my next week will be, but I’m certain that the Lord will let me know when it’s time. We all need the rest – if Jesus did, so do we!
I hope to be rested and refreshed when I see you all on Sunday.
Pastor Steve