ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 16, 2022
Yesterday’s prayer was written collectively, though not in the way most folks think of collectively. I heard the word “exhausted” numerous times yesterday. I heard it used by someone being interviewed on the news first thing in the morning; I heard it spoken by one of the radio personalities on my drive to church; I heard it from a number of people with whom I interacted at church; I heard it from the table next to us at lunch after church; I saw it in the face of one particular woman at the grocery store. Exhaustion seemed to be yesterday’s theme. There are times when the life-suckers appear rather plentiful. Trying to make the world a slightly better place feels like the old game of Whack-a-Mole. You think you’ve knocked down one thing, only to have another one pop up — an endless cycle where nothing ever feels complete. In his 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote: “…never tire of doing what is good.” Yet there are times when I think we grow tired of trying to do good when every step forward appears to be followed by two steps back. This is where I like Psalm 62, as it speaks of finding rest in God, and only then does it speak of receiving hope. It is hard to remain positive and hopeful when you’re exhausted. Give yourself permission to take a break, even when it means something does not get done. It is often in that time of rest when we reconnect with the hope that will drive us forward in the face of numerous obstacles.
Provide me a respite, some sabbath or just a good nap. This is my request spoken to you, O Source of Life and Hope. Amen.
