This past weekend I had the pleasure and privilege of going on a weekend retreat with about 10 other guys from the Lancaster, PA area. The retreat was hosted by Lancaster Bible College (LBC) and lead by my mentor and best friend who is now a professor at LBC. This was the third installment of "Soul Thirst", a weekend retreat for student ministry leaders. Each retreat focuses on a specific spiritual discipline, through discussion and experience. On this Soul Thirst we looked at the discipline of Sabbath or rest.
I was very excited for this retreat, especially because the summer is fast approaching. I was praying that God would use it as a weekend of preparation for the summer, which He certainly did. Entering the weekend I actually felt rested. This past year has been a good one for me. I haven't been burned out by work and ministry. My plate isn't SO full that I'm going crazy while getting nothing done. I've also spent good time with my family after working during the day and on the weekends. I'm very thankful for the rest that I have had in this full time ministry.
As we drove from LBC to the retreat cabin I was excited to think that for once I was going to go on a retreat where I wasn't going to be completely convicted two minutes after it began. On the other hand, I was very eager to explore and experience the discipline of Sabbath AND to learn how God wanted me to change my life to be more like Jesus in that area.
We had a great weekend with beautiful weather. The whole retreat was designed for us to be challenged with God's Word concerning the Sabbath AND to experience times of Sabbath within the retreat weekend. I must say that disciplining yourself to rest is much easier than disciplining yourself in Fasting or Solitude & Silence. I found myself to be rested as I predicted. My body physically didn't need to nap during the day so I was able to spend a good amount of time reading, praying, journaling, and eating. I also enjoyed meeting a bunch of new guys from the Lancaster area and seeing some guys that I knew from previous Soul Thirst retreats.
Through the Soul Thirst retreat God brought to light something about the rest I have been getting. Yes, I've been getting good rest. Yes, I'm not burned out by the ministry. Yes, I'm taking care of my first priority - my wife and kids. BUT, when I was resting I wasn't always resting in Him. The purpose and the effectiveness of Sabbath is - that God is the One we are to rest in. Sure we can rest by taking a nap or reading a book or some other pleasurable activity, but those things should not be where we run to for rest. The key behind Sabbath is asking God to show you what things in your life need to go...so you can rest, and what things need to be added so you can rest and find delight. The Sabbath is characterized by a lack of work and the presence of delight. In Genesis, God created the world in six days. Then on the seventh day He declared that creation was complete and He said, "It is good." God also gave us the commandment to observe the Sabbath - a time to cease working and delight in what is good.
I had a great weekend and I definitely grew closer to God through His Word and experiencing the discipline of Sabbath.
No comments:
Post a Comment