There’s a lot going on in life. That’s probably always true, but it seems especially so in this present moment. Right now, my congregation is welcoming a new Director of our Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC), who begins her duties this month. We are also preparing for church staff to relocate to temporary office space in another area of our church facilities. We’re doing this as we anticipate the start-up of renovation and expansion of church facilities. Although the date for when this begins is still unknown, we are hopeful that groundbreaking will be sometime in October. And so we are sorting through files, closets, etc. I call this “the big purge.” I tend to hold onto way too much stuff anyway, so this is a very good thing. My wife’s family is sorting through her parents’ home as they are both now in independent living at a care facility in another state. After 58 years in the same house, there is a lot of stuff to sort through. We were there last month to help out, and there’s much more to do. In the midst of all that’s going on, is there downtime? Can we find opportunity to step back, and maybe even get away?

In his ministry, Jesus frequently took time away from his busy schedule of preaching, teaching and healing. He sought out quiet time when he could be alone with his heavenly Father to reflect, think and pray (see Mark 1:35-39 ESV - Jesus Preaches in Galilee - And rising - Bible Gateway).  In Mark 6:30-34 ESV - Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand - The - Bible Gateway we read these words about Jesus, who said to his disciples: “’Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” I think those same words could describe our own lives today. We tend to be so busy, trying to get all the things done on our to-do list, rushing here and there, that we meet ourselves coming and going. With our smart phones and watches, we tend to stay connected 24/7 wherever we are, even when we’re on vacation. Frequently, we have “no leisure even to eat,” and so life can become very hectic and overwhelming. Sound familiar?

For many, the summer months afford us the opportunity to “come away to a desolate place… and rest a while.” Taking time out to be renewed and refreshed is not just nice, it’s necessary for health and well-being. The demands of work, home and family can at times make us feel like we’re in a vice. The pressure just continues to increase. Especially in the high-stress area in which we live, where traffic and congestion can and does lead to road rage, it is critical to get away in order to rest.

The Third Commandment is all about doing just this: “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.” Based on God’s resting after his work of creation (see Genesis 2:2-3), this commandment is a reminder to us that our Lord invites us to step away from our work so that we might be re-created. In fact, the word “recreation” is a union of two words: “re,” which means to “do over,” or “repeat,” and “create,” which is “to bring into being.” God, who has brought us into being, desires that we be re-created through rest and relaxation on a regular basis. “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy,” so goes the old saying. Actually, it makes Johnny and each one of us not just dull, but irritable, exhausted, unable to focus and enjoy God’s gift of life.

The purpose of the sabbath (שַׁבָּת in Hebrew, meaning “to rest” or “to cease”) was to provide God’s people with an opportunity to rest as well as worship. This was to be a reminder to them that in their enslavement in Egypt, there was no day of rest. Slaves do not enjoy such a privilege. With the Exodus event, God’s people were set free and were commanded to observe this day of rest. Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains the Third Commandment in this way: “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” Interestingly, Luther makes no mention at all of resting, but only of worship. The twin concepts of rest and worship are at the heart of the Third Commandment. In our high tech world where we can be glued to our screens for hours on end, rest and worship are needed now more than ever by our society today.

Sometimes we’re able to carve out time to get away from things and enjoy a vacation. At other times, that doesn’t work out. When we aren’t able to physically get away and a vacation proves elusive, what then? Do we just keep slogging our way through daily challenges without reprieve? God knew what He was doing in giving to His people the sabbath. That weekly cycle of resting and ceasing from our labors is necessary for life. We are human beings, not machines. God has created us for work and for rest; for fellowship with Him and with one another. If not a vacation, what does a staycation look like? How can just staying local renew and refresh your spirit? What is it that will feed and replenish your spirit?

In these days of summer, whether you are able to get away or just be at home, I encourage you to reflect on the words of Jesus in another part of Scripture: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to find our rest in him. May it be so with you.