{"id":20204,"date":"2020-03-11T15:40:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T20:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/?p=20204"},"modified":"2020-03-11T15:40:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-11T20:40:25","slug":"the-rest-that-transcends-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/the-rest-that-transcends-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rest that transcends Sleep."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mark 1: 29-45 [note verse 35 highlighted below]
\u201cIn the morning while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s\nreading Jesus is very busy! He had moved from the synagogue to Peter\u2019s house, hoping\nperhaps for a little rest and relaxation but even there, he was called upon to\nminister healing, a call to which he positively responded. That response opened a door <\/em>as it were, through which\nscores of others entered, seeking Jesus\u2019 healing touch and, as Mark implied, he\ngraciously and uncomplainingly responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Details of\nJesus\u2019 healing actions in the passage seem to bookend the highlighted verse, so\nmuch so, if not careful, one could miss its significance and the meaning it\nconveys. Notice for example that the time was not only dark; it was very <\/strong>dark. It was that very still time\nbefore daybreak, that time when sleep would pull one deeper into the folds of\noblivion, particularly so if physical energies are at a low ebb. For Jesus to\nget up at that time then, highlights two very important character traits\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. He jealously guarded times of\nsolitude and stillness<\/li>
  2. His soul [more than his body]\nrequired the kind of rest<\/em> that was\nbeyond sleeping<\/em>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Have you ever felt\nat the end of a day that your energies are spent and even as you look back at\nall you have done or achieved, there\u2019s still something missing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These days, the\nchallenges of our world with related pressures to conform, not least of which\nis ensuring \u201cTo Do\u201d<\/em> lists have been\ncompleted, often leave us physically fatigued, emotionally drained and mentally\nuninspired. The gift<\/em> embedded in each\nnew day often eludes us as we spend every waking hour, worshipping at the altars\nof muchness <\/em>and manyness, <\/em>gods we have created, that are incapable of responding\nto, let alone loving us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this almost\novershadowed verse then, Mark lets us into the open secret of Jesus\u2019 life,\nshowing us the bond he had with the Father\u2026the union with God that was the\nsource of his authority and confidence\u2026rooted in a love Jesus knew would never\nlet him go. No matter how tired he was therefore, Jesus would always spurn the\nlure, casting aside sweet blankets\u2026of sleep, for that place where he could truly\nrest\u2026<\/strong>in his Father\u2019s presence and\nfind all that he needed for the further journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Perhaps with the\nmany demands on your time, attention and energies, coming as they do from\nseveral quarters; perhaps with the Covid 19 epidemic – the uncertainties, anxieties\nand fears that have become like a second skin for many, you too are at a place\nof physical, mental and emotional fatigue. Perhaps life has slowly become for\nyou a matter of doing\u2026<\/em>one task after\nanother and your spirit is crying out for rest.\n<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jesus\u2019 example\nof constantly, intentionally<\/em> seeking\nthe Father\u2019s presence is the act you and I are being challenged to emulate. It\nmay seem a tough one at first, but with consistent practice, we will begin to\nunderstand why with all our activities and achievements, a life where God is\nnot the epicentre, will always be hollow and meaningless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    St. Augustine\u2019s\nfamous words then, paired with Psalm 16:11 provide motivation as we seek to venture\nforward. Augustine wrote\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart\nis restless until it finds rest in Thee.\u2019 <\/em>Then as\nif in response, the Psalmist declared\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIn his presence there is fullness of joy and at his\nright hand are pleasures forevermore.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Viewed through\nthe lens and wisdom of the Saint and the Psalmist, we are facilitated in\nperceiving truths regarding the possibility for every human being\u2026you and me,\nto be able amidst of the storms and chaos of prevailing cultures, to find rest\nand refreshment in an ever deepening relationship with our good and gracious\nGod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This Lenten\nseason then, provides the perfect opportunity for you to get up close and\npersonal with God in Christ; if you grasp it, there\u2019s every reason to believe\nthat the same power that was at work in Jesus Christ, enabling and supporting\nhim in his life and ministry, will be with [in] you cf. Romans 8:11 and as\nsuch\u2026all will be well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For your further reflection\/action:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Challenge yourself to get out of bed before daybreak, while it is still very dark<\/em>. Be still\u2026listen for the sounds of the approaching dawn, including the birds as they offer their morning songs. Let the stillness envelop you and open your heart with expectancy to God. What does he say to you\u2026how will you respond? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Contributed by Rev. Canon Georgia ‘Grace’ Jervis<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Mark 1: 29-45 [note verse 35 highlighted below] \u201cIn the morning while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed\u2026\u201d In today\u2019s reading Jesus is very busy! He had moved from the synagogue to Peter\u2019s house, hoping perhaps for a little rest and relaxation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":610,"featured_media":20207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-moment","ctfw-has-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/610"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20208,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20204\/revisions\/20208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}