Rest and rejuvenation (Sunday Sermon)

Most people come to the park for vacation. Vacation is a time of rest and rejuvenation from their day to day lives back at home. So many times, we pack out lives full of activities from sun up to sun down. I know in my family, we are going from before the sun rises to long after it sets. My days filled with class, work, homework, sports, chapel, time with friends, meals, working again, and the list goes on. I rarely have time to rest and sometimes I forget that I don’t need all of these activities in my life to make me happy. If I would take time to rest and rejuvenate, I would recall the love that God has for us. The love that keeps us going from day to day. I want to share a version of the 23rd Psalm..an antithesis, or counter position to the original psalm. I think many of you can relate to it.

The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down, only when exhausted.
It leads me to deep depression, it hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy for activities sake
Even though I run frantically from task to task,
I will never get it all done, for my ideal is with me
Deadlines and my need for approval- they drive me.
They demand performance from me beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines, my in-box overflows
Surely fatigue and time pressure shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the bounds of frustration forever.

Does this version sound much like your day to day life? The 23rd Psalm encourages us to relax and trust in God and the Basics that he provides for us. The 23rd Psalm is probably one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. Although it is commonly associated with funerals, and is appropriately used in that setting, it is as much about living as it is about dying. In this psalm, we are reminded that we are to live our lives under the loving watch of God, our shepherd and King. In ancient Israel, kings were known as shepherds. Therefore, to profess the Lord as one’s shepherd meant to pledge ones loyalty to God and to live under God’s reign. In return, just as the shepherd provided food, water, and protection for their sheep, God will provide these basic necessities for us. As twenty first century believers, the challenge for us is to depend solely on God and to be content with “the basics.” The point where we submit to the ultimate provider- God, as our shepherd and king- is where we will truly be able to say, “I do not want.”

I want to invite you now to close your eyes and just listen now. Listen to the birds, and the voices. The wind through the trees, the creation that God has given us. As we close our eyes, I’m going to read the traditional 23rd Psalm to contrast the antithesis I read earlier. As I read, I want you to think about what it means and what God is providing for us.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, and he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23 speaks of the LORD as our shepherd. Just how in our scripture reading, we also see the LORD as our shepherd.

Throughout the gospel of John, there are seven I AM statements. The fourth statement is found in John 10:11 and 14. It states, “I Am the good shepherd.” The statements in the gospel of John connect Jesus to God. God identified himself to Moses as “I AM who I Am.” In this passage, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for the sake of his sheep. The sheep of God are everyone who follows and believes in him. This passage tells us that Jesus was willing to lay his life down for everyone else to live. The model shepherd is contrasted with a hired hand, who is concerned for his own safety and has no investment in the sheep. When the wolf comes, and times get tough, the hired hand runs away, because he doesn’t really care about his sheep. The shepherd on the other hand, stays and protects his sheep from the world At first glance the passage from John appears to be about Jesus’ care for us, but it is also about the relationship that Jesus offers us. Jesus said, “I know my own and my own know me and listen to my voice.” Jesus is our shepherd and he knows us, just as a shepherd knows his sheep. A shepherd will never leave a sheep behind, just as God would never leave a follower behind.
Taking time for rest and rejuvenation is good to help us make it through the rest of the year. But if we fail to take time to think of God in our time of rest, than how rested and rejuvenated can we truly be? John 10:11-16 tells us that when the wolf comes to attack the sheep, the shepherd, not the hired hand, stands strong. In the same way, when times of trial and tribulation come, when we feel far from God, He stands strong.

From the beginning of creation God instituted a day of rest for men. And it's no wonder because God knew the limitations of the human body. Our body wears down after hard work. Rest rejuvenates exhaustion, cures fatigue, and clarifies confusion. We cannot function properly without it.

But in reality, how much resting do we really do? I know for me, not much resting actually happens. As people living in the 21st century, we often jam pack our lives full of activities including Sunday. It often takes planning to actually achieve time for rest. Or sometimes, going about a day without a structured schedule, nothing to get done, just slowing down and taking your time allows you to relax. Whatever it be that helps you relax, I encourage you to partake in a little relaxing to remember that God is in control and will be there for us always. So I want to encourage you that as you use this vacation time to rejuvenate and explore the park, also explore God’s beauty. Remember that rejuvenation with Christ is just as important as rejuvenating physically. Cast your worries on the LORD, and he will keep you safe.