Last week I managed to pull the family away for end-of-summer beach get-away. It was a great time for us to just be together, and it truly felt like an escape from the busy routine. This was our first taste of saltwater and sand this summer so it was definitely long overdue. Soaking in the waves and the sound of the surf has a palpable rejuvenating effect on the soul. Living an hour and a half from the Atlantic beaches has its advantages for a lot of people here in eastern North Carolina—especially on the weekends. However, that doesn’t work out too well for those of us who have jobs on Sunday. So we take what we can get. Still, there is a biblical Sabbath principle that we all must find a way to work into the rhythm of life. Too much time away, or too little, leaves us out of the healthy balance that God intends for our soul.

In Mark’s gospel, Jesus regularly withdrew from the demanding crowds to a quiet place to pray and be alone with the Father—or perhaps just to sit and listen to the crashing waves of the Sea of Galilee or feel the cool mountain breeze. It usually didn’t last very long because the needy people always managed to find him. Still, Jesus had a clear principle of meditation and mission built into his life, and so should we.

It may be a coincidence, but yesterday I had more than the usual predictable encouragers comment on what a good sermon I had delivered. My reply was, “Give me three nights at the beach every week and I’ll fire off a really good one every Sunday morning!” I’m sure that would wear off over time, but I’d be willing to give my best shot at a pastoral beach cottage for weekly study and renewal. I’m not holding my breath, but it does remind me of the fact that I must work intentionally at carving out daily, weekly, and annual times of retreat. Now that the beach is so last week… comes the hard part.

0 comment(s) so far...

Your name:
Your email:
	(Optional) Email used only to show Gravatar.
Your website:
Title:
Comment:
Add Comment   Cancel