“Come & Rest”

These words sound almost foreign to us today. Everything we see and hear in society and the media seems to give the opposite message. Extreme sports and reality TV are anything but relaxing. Professional blogs oblige us to implement proactive business strategies. We are urged to add that extra workout to our exercise routine. Movies that are not fast-paced enough are seen as boring. And as churches do their best to be culturally relevant, even worship can turn into a high-intensity experience.

So it is no wonder that the words “come and rest” seem counterintuitive to us. And yet we cannot ignore the call of Christ in Matthew 11:28 to do just that: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” In our frenetic, fast-paced culture, where can we turn to find this rest Christ calls us to?

Worship can be one of those places. Yes, there are times when worship needs to involve exuberant praise and active engagement. But in worship we should also be able to find space to “be still and know” that the Lord is God, as Psalm 46:10 says. Such quiet before God is something we all need to learn to practice in our day-to-day lives. We desperately need that kind of rest in the midst of this very un-restful world.

Our contemplative service Wednesday, October 12 at 6:30 PM will provide a wonderful opportunity for us to practice that kind of restful worship. It will be a safe place of contemplation and quiet for worshipers of all ages. Join us as, together, we “come and rest.”