Thursday, August 26, 2021

Rest

The Rev. Anne Williamson

‘Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’ Matthew 11:28

I hear or say these ‘comfortable words’ each Sunday during the Rite I Eucharist but do I really listen to them? Take them to heart? I am wondering about this offer of rest from Jesus and what that might mean in my life.

Is rest a luxury or a priority in your life? It seems to me that in a society which prizes activity and productivity, rest can feel like an indulgence. In her article ‘Rest Is Holy, Not a Reward for the Productive’, Sandi Villarreal, editor-in-chief of Sojourners Magazine, writes ‘By ….recognizing a person’s inherent value, rest is no longer a reward for the productive but an essential part of the human experience. Rest can be part of a regular rhythm, built into the week as a practice, as sabbath. It can also be a season, a recognition that some things take time to repair and require boundaries and self-compassion.’

I have been listening to the audio book of ‘Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May, which Villareal mentions in her article. May reflects on her family’s physical and emotional ills, and the redemption found in ‘fallow’ time, physical and temporal space that allowed healing to take place.

Rob called us a couple of weeks ago to share the sorrows and the joys of our lives, to lean into the sorrows of the world, but to also attend to the joys. A prayer that I find helpful in this strange time we find ourselves in, where sorrows abound and we have to be very intentional about seeking the joys, comes from Henri Nouwen. I offer it to you today with prayers for blessed rest:

Dear God,

Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner noises of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:
“Come to me, you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest . . .
for I am gentle and humble of heart.” Let that loving voice be my guide.

Amen.