Stopping so you can keep going

My pastor, Dwight Nelson, has been doing a series on the Sabbath – actually two series: The Refreshing Delusion on the day, and God’s Party on the way. (Those links go to the WMV, MP4, MP3 and study guides.) All winter and now through the spring, I’ve been reflecting on the Sabbath’s impact on my own life, my leadership, and my productivity. I thought I’d share a few nuggets with you:

These thoughts are mostly from the God’s Party series, which is on Sabbath-keeping. I guess I’m especially attracted to this series because of the technology hook. The titles are: MySpace, Facebook, YouTube YouToo (today’s sermon), Green Google, and Yahoo. Pastor Dwight is very creative in bringing real life lessons and applications from the world around us with yet a strong Biblical basis.

So, here are some interesting thoughts. This quote is from the study guide for the MySpace sermon.

James Richard Wibberding: “Energy is more precious than time . . . . I can’t use my time without energy. Perceptive people transform our energy needs into dollars, selling everything from energy bars to energy drinks to sugar highs. And, what party thrives without ‘refreshments’? We humans have to recharge or refuel often. This energy deficit can be traced to human banishment from the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-23) but all is not lost. There is something of refreshment still within reach.” (Sabbath Reflections: A Weekly Devotional 87, 88)

I really like this quote because I really do feel like Sabbath refreshes me and refuels my energy. It’s a weekly holiday (holy day) where I set aside work and really rest. What a blessing!

The Facebook sermon focused on sleeping and resting and looking for Jesus’ face throughout the Sabbath. If you’re tired and stressed, you’ll really like the Facebook sermon – listen to it! 🙂 It’s where I got the title for this blog. Mountain climbers never climb straight to the top without stopping to rest. If I’m going to finish my PhD, or keep going at any of my many projects, I have to stop and rest. The Sabbath gives me that weekly rest stop. All my cares flee away for 24 hours. What a blessing!

Today’s YouTube You Too was about “broadcasting” or “bringing” yourself to gather together to worship. Here’s a great CS Lewis quote:

C. S. Lewis: “ . . . [if] there is anything in the teaching of the New Testament which is in the nature of a command, it is that you are obliged to [celebrate the communion], and you can’t do it without going to Church. I disliked very much their hymns, which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the great merit of it. I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off. I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots
in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren’t fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit .” (God in the Dock 62)

Wow! That just gets you. Not only do we need to stop, but we need to stop together. To fellowship, to study, to worship. To be together. What a blessing to fellowship, knowing my fellow believers are also gathered together around the globe!

I’ve really enjoyed these and thought I’d pass it along… it’s a blessing to listen to how Pastor Dwight weaves in current technology in such an interesting real life application to our daily lives.

You can listen to or watch these online, get the study guides and/or subscribe to the podcast – all at www.pmchurch.tv.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.