Sabbath of Rest

God works in us while we
rest in him.  

 

Beyond all grasping is this
work of the Creator, 

itself creative, this
rest.  

 

For such work exceeds all
rest, in its tranquility.  

 

This rest, in its effect,
shines forth 

as more productive than any
work.

 

— Peter of
Celles

 

A couple weekends ago I went
to camp Li-Lo-Li for a church retreat, and experienced the joy of what Peter of
Celles called resting in God. Even though it was only a few short days, it was
time sweetly spent as a church in fellowship with one another and with God.
Most of the time it probably didn’t seem like anything “spiritual”
was going on: people eating together, talking, sitting by the warm fire, some
working on puzzles, some quilting, some playing ping-pong, while others rested
in a more literal sense. Even the messages were not deep theologically
speaking, but were simple reminders to be “extraordinarily dedicated to
ordinary practices” such as prayer, Bible study, giving, service, and
fellowshipping with other believers. 

 

I’m not sure what it was
about that weekend, but I feel as though the time I spent with the Lord in
reading, prayer and contemplation was much more effective, more direct, more
meaningful, more growing, then it usually is, or has been since. What was it
about this church retreat that made the difference? Was it because I was
finally able to escape from the noise of the world: the burdens, the weights,
the worries, and all the time-consuming activities and technology and merely rested? Was it the joyous community of
believers where I saw everyone at various times seeking the Lord privately and
corporately and quietly sharing with one another the burdens and joys in their
lives? Was it the encouragement of the speaker’s message to “go back to
the basics” that inspired a deeper relationship with Christ and one
another? Whatever it was, I know for certain that I heard more clearly
than I have in a long time the still small voice of God whispering to my
restless heart. And what I really want to know is why dont I hear it more
often? Why is it so difficult to rest in
God?

 

I think that there are a
number of obstacles that get in the way: some physical, some emotional, and
some spiritual. First of all: just setting aside time. Recently Ive improved
on this because of my running injuries lately Ive had a lot of time freed up.
But I know how hard it is when I am busy to keep to a regular routine when all
the other urgent demands placed on me drown out the essential demands of
resting in God. Other times I struggle to spend time with God because I dont
feel in the right mood to hear his voice. And this is just another symptom of
not spending enough time resting in God before listening to his voice. I do
know that that God gives us grace when we ask for it, and he will bring us the
joy of his presence if we can just first come and rest in his presence. Honestly
if 30 minutes is all I had, then that time might be better spent resting my
spirit then trying to study the Bible or pray.

 

I imagine myself as a
restless child yearning to go back outside and play, when my Father knows that
I need to rest. If you have seen young children who dont like to nap you know
what a struggle it can be to calm this restless spirit! And we are also like small
children running frantically about trying to control everything and be
everything to everyone! We are like that restless child who doesnt know how
tired he is, running on fumes and about to collapse from exhaustion.

 

In the practice of resting
in God I have been helped immensely by the guidance of some excellent reading:
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.  Id recommend this book to anyone interested
in an extraordinary commitment to ordinary practices as the speaker at camp I
think said it best. Hopefully there will be more to come on this topic soon!