Rest is an important part of a healthy life. Doctors, psychologists, and other scientists from various fields can tell you about the way that sleep and physical rest affects parts of the human mind and body.

Rest is also important for the soul.

As you may know, Veronika is on vacation and is taking time to rest. Whenever I talk with other clergy about what it means to take time away from the community they serve there is a need to acknowledge that there is work to be done which is being left for another time.

The church is always needed to build up community, to face adversity, to celebrate goodness, and to mourn in grief. As the gift of life is constantly renewed in the blessing of children, so will there be a need for the church, Christ’s hands in the world, to love and serve them.

So when I think of rest from the work of the church I am reminded of physical exercise. The rest period between workouts is just as important as the workout itself. During that physical rest your body builds up strength and energy to better answer the call to work next time.

In our spiritual lives we may become exhausted by all of the work to love and heal the world which we undertake in our Lord Jesus’ name. Once depleted of that strength often our will to try again leaves us as well.

This is why rest is so important.

Spiritual rest gives our hearts and our souls time to recoup and grow stronger so that when we bend our skill to the work of God’s kingdom again it will be with renewed energy, and maybe with more strength than we know we have.

I hope that even as you seek physical rest this summer you will find the time to join us for worship on what we call our Sabbath, that is rest in God.

In peace,

Rev. Deacon Chip Russell