“Commit to Rest: Seasons” by The Rev. Stephanie Kendell

This week has been full. There have been fellowship gatherings and deadlines, pastoral care and sermon writing, program planning and curriculum writing, and last night YASS even went to the theater together. And while that may seem like a lot, I feel rested. Ministry and our people are a source of energy for me and so part of my commitment to rest is to engage intentionally. There are so many things happening at The Park, I hope that you continue to like and share all the things that we are doing, that would not be possible without your support. We would not be us, without you.

This week’s scripture took me by surprise in the best way possible. In my experience Ecclesiastes is not a book that we preach from often and is not generally the source of people’s favorite scripture but having read our scripture now over and over (I just can’t get enough of it), it is quickly becoming one of mine. This week’s scripture feels alive. It is the perfect text for our last week of our monthly commitment to rest (something, I might add, that should not end at the end of the month), because it reminds us that something new is coming. I often say, we rest so we can continue, and this week’s scripture reminds us that the everything in life continues and takes breaks. The seasons and moments in life move us forward and sideways and sometimes even backwards. But no matter which way the Spirit moves us, it is always- and intentionally- toward God.