“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
John 14:1
Two months away from the responsibilities of ministry, much of it in beautiful places away from home, gave us time and space to rest in the Lord, be refreshed in His lavish love and rejuvenate our relationships. We were blessed with a balance of time with our boys and time away as a couple – a total of eighteen days just with my bride! The Lord called us closer to Himself through extended time in the Word, significant journaling, meaningful books and rich conversations.
I focused on the gospel of John and was powerfully moved by the glorious person and work of Jesus. John calls us to really trust in the Lord with all our hearts, resting in Him, rejoicing in Him, walking with Him – abiding. He presents a powerful glimpse into the Trinity, inviting us to experience the incomprehensible truth that to be one with Jesus by faith is to be united with the Godhead; His glory now living in us. Sabbath itself is an invitation (a command, really) to stop and just be with the Lord and each other. What a gift, so often neglected, to dramatically strengthen our hearts, families and ministry, if we would just embrace it.
Schedule:
| June 1-7 – FAMILY – Valrico, FL June 8-16 – FAMILY – LOL, FL June 17-22 – D n K – Arabi, GA June 23-29 – EXTENDED FAMILY – Miami, FL June 30-July 5 – D n K – Canton, GA July 6-9 – D n K – Central, SC | July 10-11 – FAMILY – LOL, FL July 12-15 – FAMILY – Maggie Valley, NC July 15-20 – FAMILY – LOL, FL July 21-25 – D – Yosemite, CA w Dad and brother July 26-29 – D n K – The Villages, FL July 30-31 – FAMILY – LOL, FL |
A prominent focal point for us was Sabbath itself. Enjoying the benefits of slowing and resting shows the great gift that a weekly Sabbath would be, if we could actually make it happen. Our reading helped us see how bad our culture (including us) has become at doing Sabbath. Our usual “day off” is more about chores and weekend service prep than it is about rest. We are intrigued by the idea of an actual weekly Sabbath and are exploring what it would take to make it happen given the coming demands of the fall.
As promised, I did not make any plans or dream up any grand new strategies for Oakwood. My other reading and writing effectively channeled my thoughts away from such rabbit holes. One idea predominated the two months: abide in Christ.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
John 15:9
Trinitarian love. The overflowing gift-love of God the Father for God the Son, eternally enjoyed and returned in the Holy Spirit dance of self-giving mutual submission and delight. John 17 – the glory of the Godhead poured into us as we learn to abide in His love. Rest. Stop. Trust. Don’t fear or fret. Actually pray. Listen. Quiet. Get away from the noise and the hurry. Experience the love of Christ. Center there. Delight. Enjoy. Abide.
It seemed appropriate to start a sabbatical by reflecting on the Sabbath. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Comer) is convicting, insightfully showing the reality of hurry and hustle in our modern western culture and how it has infected church and even the “devotional life” of believers. “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life” if you want to experience God, said Dallas Willard to John Ortberg, the young and talented preacher. What else? Nothing else. Just that. No other way? Nope. So – a rule of life is necessary; a set of practices, habits and commitments that will enable us to “parent our phones,” resist the algorithm, and begin to escape the relentless demands of culture and our own desires. At the center of this rule of life, should be the ancient gift from God to His people – the Sabbath. Dr. Sleeth’s 24/6 documents what non-sabbath living does to our bodies and how a weekly rest – a full stop – is God’s gift to recover, refresh and recalibrate around Jesus.
I also did some extended study focused on the Gospel of John. This helped me meditate on the wonders of the gospel. What artistry and restraint to present only seven miracles of Jesus! What poetic creativity to build the narrative around penetrating questions. “Do you want to be healed?” “Can this be the Christ?” “Do you love me more than these?”
The sabbatical provided a wonderful context for rest and refreshment in the Lord. Unhurried time in the Word of God in beautiful places, processed through journaling, writing, conversation and prayer. Days away with Kristin gave us time and space to rest and rejuvenate together, and lots of special memories were created with our boys and even extended family as we celebrated special milestones.
These two months were a tremendous gift to our hearts, marriage and family – and, by extension, to our ministry. The Lord helped expose and weaken my drive for “success” through ministry strategy and human effort. The Word came back again and again to the call to rest, trust and simply walk with the Lord. Sabbath itself is a blessed invitation to just be with Jesus and let Him bless you and your family as He sees fit. Just love. Just be loved. Let God do His work.
