The Rev. Joseph Farnes
All Saints, Boise
Proper 11B
“Come away and rest a while.” This Gospel passage was used in seminary to underscore the importance of self-care for clergy. Our professors would point to this passage and say, “even Jesus and the apostles took time away!” The message is quickly undone in the Gospel passage, of course, because the crowds follow them and Jesus has compassion for them for they are like “sheep without a shepherd.” I get it, the people are lost and confused … but … can’t the sheep manage to survive a few hours so Jesus and the disciples can get a nap?
So the tension always remains: how does “self-care” happen when the needs of the world are never-ending?
And, frankly, what does self-care even look like? Because there is a lot that passes for self-care these days. In our consumerist and capitalist culture, where there’s a need, there’s an industry ready to sell a product. We’re just one more product, one more service, one more thing away from that perfect work-life balance that makes everything fulfilling and perfect! Except we’re never actually *there*. The balance keeps perpetually sliding to more and more work – labor is more productive than ever, and yet wages remain low and hours remain long for many wage-earners. And so there are countless ads for self-care products that will melt away tension, soothe away anxiety, remedy depression, and make life magical again … or, really, those self-care products are just meant to make you a better worker through the week. As if that was what the point of life was!
And much of what they sell doesn’t help, long-term, at least. It might feel nice, it might feel a little indulgent … but it’s not satisfying. We’re not restored.
And let’s not forget the guilt – there’s always a feeling of guilt about what we’re not doing, not taking care of. Something being left undone that we ought to have done … what’re we to do? We know that people are hungry and need fed. We know that people are unhoused and need housing. We know that people are unwell in body, mind, and spirit and need healing. We know that nations need peace and justice and fairness and hope … how do we do it all? We know “thoughts and prayers” are important, but a passing prayer does not fill a hungry stomach, and so often “thoughts and prayers” becomes a cover for “I don’t want to do anything about it.” We know Jesus told us to care for the world … but it’s all so much.
We’re tired.
We see it in not just our own lives, but our lives in community. We’ve all got busy lives – work, volunteering, taking care of our health needs, taking care of family – and so sometimes we’re not excited about adding church ministry onto our already full plate. Or, maybe we’d be happy to do it, but we really don’t want to do it by ourselves, and we’re not sure who has room on their plate to join us. So our common life struggles with its own form of tiredness, too. How do we find refreshment and renewal when our plate is far too full and our fuel tank is not just empty but somehow in the negative?
If our goal is simply “How do I get energy back to do more”, we’re going to be disappointed. We’ll get that little bit of energy and just look at the pile of things to do and whoosh! All that energy will drain right back out in anticipation of how tired we’ll be in the future. We’re stuck in a loop.
The goal of our lives is to live in God, to live in union with God and in fellowship and communion with one another. That’s the goal.
What is drawing you to God? And what is drawing you closer to one another?
Let’s start with that.
Invite someone to lunch. Invite someone to coffee hour. Sit with someone and say hi. Send a card, send a text, make someone laugh. That’s ministry.
Create something fun. Dance. Sing a song. Spend some time in silence with God. Read the Bible prayerfully. Connect and commune with your Creator.
I’m going to give you all a little gift to help you at least carve out a little time for yourselves, to pray and rest. It’s a little labyrinth sticker for your water bottle or whatever you keep with you all the time.
Labyrinths are lovely – there’s no “point” other than to be fully present to yourself, present to the moment, present to God. Just trace your finger from the outside along the path to the inside, and back out again.
That’s it. Even if you try to do it quickly, the length of the labyrinth will slow you down. Come, rest a while.