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“Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (Matt. 11:28 MSG)

Today the Disciples Fellowship Group at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ discussed Chapter 2 of Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity (Keri Wyatt Kent. Zondervan. 2009).* Building upon "Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity" Discussion: Intro/Chapter 1, Theresa prepared the below material (also in PDF). Feel free to share your thoughts with us by comments, email, personal conversation ...

Rest

By Keri Wyatt Kent

Disciples Fellowship Group   Summer 2011

Chapter 2: Resting: A Release from Our Restlessness

Does your life feel “busy?”  What makes it so hectic?  Is that how you want to live?

“If running like crazy equals getting nowhere, then it’s a little crazy to think that more running could ever equal getting somewhere.  To get somewhere instead of nowhere…I need to stop.” (p. 28)

“Running without stopping also depletes life of meaning.”  Just as the rests or pauses between notes turn noise into music, resting turns our hyperactivity into meaningful activity.  You can’t make muddy water clear by stirring it or trying to place the particles in order one by one.  You need to keep it still. (p. 28)

The antidote for restlessness is rest!  How do we do this when resting seems wasteful, extravagant, a luxury we can’t afford?  Resting is as necessary as breathing. (p. 29)

Because we refuse to rest or take a break we are tired.  So even when we’re working we’re halfhearted about it.  We are never fully engaged, and we never take time to disengage. (p. 31)

“To run without stopping violates God’s design…Optimum function is a result of both effort and rest.” (p. 31)

“The Bible tells us to keep the Sabbath ‘holy’…set apart, different.”  In Biblical tradition the day begins at sunset not at sunrise.  “So Sabbath begins not with waking but with resting.  It begins at sunset the night before.” (p. 32)

In our culture we know how to work.  It’s the recovery part we don’t know how to do.  A study of world class tennis players revealed that the difference that set the very best players apart from the rest was that they knew how to “rest” between points.  They rested through rituals that lowered their heart rate, calming them both physically and mentally. (p. 34)

The same is true in our lives.  We want to be our best in what we do whether it’s our career, caring for our family, or ministries with which we are involved.  But working without resting burns us out.  “Recovery is the key to full engagement...We have to rest.  It’s important not just for physical fitness but also in the mental, emotional, and spiritual areas of our lives.” (p. 35)

“Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (Matt. 11:28 MSG)

What does it mean to “recover your life”?  Jesus offers us a “real rest”.  He doesn’t necessarily ask us to become more religious.  Rather, he invites us to “get away” from religious activity if it is not helpful, if it’s burning us out. (p. 36)

Sometimes we need to push ourselves or stretch ourselves.  But we also need to recover from those exertions.  “Sabbath is the missing part of the rhythm that god designed us to live in.” (p. 36)  Times of full engagement balanced with times of complete and soul-satisfying rest.

One woman whose ministry/work involves intense times with lots of people spends her Sabbath cocooned at home, not wanting to go out even for entertainment.  She identified what would be life-giving to her, balancing the demands of the week with Sabbath refreshment.  Her husband’s needs for refreshment are not identical to her own, however.  He might go to a meeting or to the gym.  He doesn’t need to stay home all day but he respects what is valuable to his wife.

Have you and your spouse discussed what would bring you as individuals Sabbath refreshment?  How can you meet the needs of both of you, as well as the needs of your children if you have them?

Rest brings strength.  Keri gives the example of how she trained to race sailboats with her husband.  Sailing is very physically demanding and her training was intense.  “How did I increase my physical strength and endurance?...I needed to put forth full effort, and then rest.  The key was to fully engage my muscles and push them to the limit.  And then, rest them.  The rest was just important as the work.”  Fully engage—Fully rest. (p. 41)

What is your reaction to her example?  Do you have a similar example from your life?

Sleep is a gift.  We override our natural rhythms to get more done, but it’s also the reason so many of us struggle with sleep disorders.  And many of our stress and sleep problems stem from the fact that our bodies are overloaded with adrenaline to the point that we can’t shut down. (p. 42-43)

Rhythm of Life as identified in scripture:  3 major activities in each day (Hebrew Day Planner) (p. 45)

1.  6am-6pm: Productivity

2.  6pm-10pm: Relationships

3.  10pm-6am: Sleep

Does your day typically fall into this pattern or is this foreign to you?

We’ve talked a lot about rest in this chapter, but don’t forget the point that in order to grow we much stretch ourselves (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually). (p. 47)

Fully engage.  Fully disengage.  How often do you “listen” to your spouse or child while doing something else?  Are you really fully engaged, listening?   This problem is even more insidious since the ability to  instantly chat, Facebook, text, etc.  How often are you working on one task while keeping a few more plates spinning online?  How can we teach our kids the value of “unplugging” if we ourselves never do?  IS there value in unplugging?

Spiritual disciplines simply create space in our lives in which God can act.  Create the space for Sabbath.  This will require you say no to opportunities that sound good.

“Maybe you are lonely…rest would feel lonely…In resting, you experience the abundant grace of God…His presence relieves our soul loneliness in a way that no one and nothing ever could…Paradoxically, time alone with god enables us to engage with people.  (p. 50)

Practical example:  One mom with young kids begins Sabbath in the evening  with a simple meal.  She cleans throughout the week so that she doesn’t need to do housework on the Sabbath.  They play together as a family and go to bed a bit early.  They enjoy breakfast together the next morning and then head to church.   You DO have to spend some time getting ready.  Small touches can create a restful atmosphere.  (I, Theresa, have a friend who plays worship music softly in the background as the family gets ready for church on Sunday mornings).  Connecting with family is part of Sabbath (talking, playing together, reading, going for a walk).  (p. 52)

*Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity (Keri Wyatt Kent. Zondervan. 2009) explores what it means to live in “Sabbath simplicity” by focusing on 6 aspects of Sabbath as spiritual practice: resting, reconnecting, revising, pausing, playing, & praying. Readers learn to slow down and find joy and meaning in the midst of their hectic lives. ...