Rest is in the Bible!

I read an article online this week by Holly Lake of the Ottawa Sun. It was an article about sleep. The article was really a warning about the dangers of lack of sleep. The headline was “Beware the sleep-deprived” with the sub-title “Multi-tasking lifestyle is encouraging us to scrimp on sleep, with dangerous consequences.” The article points to the mental impairment caused by lack of sleep and to high risk professions and high risk activities where that impairment can lead to mistakes with major consequences. Other articles on the web point to the negative impact of the lack of sleep on our health especially blood pressure and weight gain. In her article Holly Lake, quotes Statistics Canada, who reports that 47% of Canadians have “cut down on their sleep voluntarily.” She also makes reference to the term increasingly used in Canada to describe the metropolitan, multi-tasking lifestyle which is the "Toronto syndrome." Ouch!

What led me to these articles was the picture in my mind of the weary Christ that we see in Mark's Gospel at the end of chapter 4. Jesus has been busy healing and teaching in Capernaum and as the crowds grew he moved to shore of the sea of Galilee, but as the crowd grew larger he finally has to get into a boat and push out a little from shore to teach them from there. He has taught and healed and the crowd has been following him all day. Finally when evening comes he says to his disciples, let’s cross to the other side of Galilee. This is his only route to escape the crowds. The gospel says that the disciples “leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.” Physically exhausted he lays down where he stood to teach and Jesus falls asleep.

I know that summer time is often when we get to take some extra breaks whether is it the long weekends or summer vacations, but now is a good time to reflect on our need for healthy balance of work and rest. I bring the topic up knowing that most of you already know all about this. Either you beat yourselves up about, or look at the so many of the people around you see how out of whack some folks seem to be about this. But I have to tell you that you need your rest. God rested on the seventh day of Creation. This is the foundation of the Sabbath day, the day of the week dedicated to rest. In Deuteronomy and Joshua (Dt 12:9; Josh 11:23) God promises his Chosen People rest in the land he would give them. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 11 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11 28-30)

Good news, folks, REST IS IN THE BIBLE!

Peace,
The Rev'd Rob Park

Fun and Faith

Along with the moments of worship and prayer and within the community who gather, there is always time to spend enjoying each other's company. A time to laugh and play. As the weather beings to feel more and more like summer, we have the opportunity to be outside and take advantage of the more open space to be playful. Such is the case among the folks at St. George's.

This past Saturday, June 10, we held our 4th Annual Noble Cookie Cup. Perhaps because we held this event later this year, the weather was absolutely perfect for a friendly challenge of the road hockey variety. Three teams, mixed with all ages, competed and in the finals, team "Snicker-doodle" defeated team "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough". The winning team received the delicious prize of a freshly baked batch of cookies prepared by Mrs. Joy Noble.

It is hoped that the good weather will hold for this coming Sunday, June 18, as we are gathering for a outdoor service and church picnic. Again this year, the service and picnic will be held on the lawn of and together with St. Alban's Church in Glen Williams. Both church communities will meet together at 10:30 am for worship followed by a picnic and games for the kids.

These times of fellowship are great ways for us to get to know each other better and to celebrate the joy of being alive in Christ. It also reminds us that being a Church is more than just being in a church.

Peace,
The Rev'd Rob Park

As of Fire

One of the symbols of Pentecost is the flame. It comes from the description of that Pentecost event that we have in the book of Acts. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” (Acts 2:3) Although I have often felt the Holy Spirit to move like wind, this time when I read this piece of scripture it was the flame, or fire of Pentecost, caught my imagination.

Fire is a powerful thing. It can be a life-giving and transformative source of power or a destructive and uncontrollable force. It is equally awesome both in power and in threat.

A month or so ago, I posed a hypothetical situation followed by a question to the folks at the Thursday morning Service. It was basically this, imagine one Sunday as we are all driving up to church, we find the church on fire. And the question was, if there was one thing you could go in and save what would it be? After I got a couple of answers, I realized that it really was the wrong question to ask, because the question assumes that a parishioner of this parish would want to run into a burning building. Jesus died to save us, not any thing in a building.

The fire of the Holy Spirit holds much in common with ordinary fire in its power and force, but in one important way it is different from common combustion. The fire of the Holy Spirit is a guiding force and power with the sole purpose to bring about the fulfillment of the kingdom of God. Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (Jn 16:13) Like a streetlamp on the road, the fire of the Holy Spirit has a purpose, to lead us to the kingdom.


The Fire of the Holy Spirit is also in us, to melt our hearts and change us. In our story from the book of Acts, after they are touched by the “tongues as of fire”, we are told that disciples are transformed. Acts reads, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” (Acts 2:4) The disciples were filled and transformed.

From the moment of our Baptism, Jesus has had a goal for us and the fire of the Holy Spirit has burned within us to fuel us and guide us to fulfill that purpose. Sometimes the flame has burns brightly and other times it has gone cool. When we go to church, when we pray, or when we read the scripture, it should have the effect of fanning those flames so that the Holy Spirit burns bright in each of us. And then burning brightly enough, the impurities of our life, the mistakes, the errors, the bad habits, and addictions, are melted away. What we are left with is both the life that Christ wants for us most of all, and the light of that flame then points us the way to the God’s Kingdom.