Rhythm of Prayer, Work and Re-Creation, Mark 6:45-56, Kim, 21 October 2007

LIQUID WORSHIP SERMON FOR 21 OCTOBER 2007
Readings 1 Kings 19:1-18. Mark 6: 45-56 (Key verse Psalm 119:164)
Rhythm of Prayer, Work and Recreation
This week we are looking at the Rhythm of Prayer, Work and Recreation.
At the heart of a rhythm of life is the desire to know and to follow Christ wherever we are, whether we are praying, worshipping, at work or at home with family or friends or relaxing in one way or another. We need to have balance in our everyday living and not just a balanced diet. For all of us at St. Michael’s this morning, this means living and working in a busy town Camberley, with all the many and various challenges that presents.
In this busy town it is easy to see our Christian spirituality as a part of our life, a Sunday affair. However, as St. Michael’s community, living this rhythm of prayer, worship and teaching, it can helps us to see God in every moment of life, and to hear the voice of the Spirit beckoning us to come and follow in the footsteps of where God is already at work, beckoning us to join in. In that sense it is also a call to mission, in bringing the good news to this broken and fragmented world.
But we need to step back out of the box because we need to look at the rhythm in our own lives and find out if it is in tune with God and his desired rhythm for our lives.
For God desires us to have a balanced life, a ‘Rhythm of Life of Prayer, Work and Recreation (Rest) and Christians for many centuries have been inspired by those great Saints that have gone before us: St Benedict and St Francis, whose vision for Christian community are the foundation of the monasticism movement, and the great wanderers Aiden and Cuthbert and Hilda, are reminders to us that a life spent in pilgrimage towards God is also a life spent in pilgrimage with those around, both inside St. Michael’s and out, for we journey together not in isolation.
We all know that prayer is good but we struggle with it and I suspect that Aiden and Hilda and many other great Christian leaders did too. I know I do. We live in an age which demands a 24/7. 365 day culture, longer working hours which increase output and increases pay but it also destroys family life and other relationships, leads to stress related illnesses and we deny ourselves the proper place of prayer and recreation in our lives. We needs to establish our roles in life and in the work place and where and when necessary learn how to say ‘No’ when unrealistic demands are being placed on us. It is very easy to get out of step with prayer and our relationship with God and others. I know it is hard to be counter-cultural but I firmly believe that we should be standing up for a more healthy balance in work and life just as God ordained in the Book of Genesis six days of work and one day of rest.
In Psalm 119 verse 164 it says ‘seven times a day I praise you’ and I have been reminded of this verse quite often in recent years. When training for ordination we went on two different types of retreats, one a Benedictine retreat and a silent one. Both of these retreats had something in common; we learnt the value of being in communion with God on an individual basis, as a community and more importantly on a regular basis; seven times a day we prayed. On our own, together in groups, and as a whole community. Reading scripture, taking time to ask what God was saying to us for ourselves, and others, praying for ourselves and others and the church world wide. Prayer has sustained me through many difficult times over the last four years and I know that without a regular prayer time things would have been a lot harder.
When we look at Mark chapter 6 Jesus moves from one thing to another, times of business and stresses, hearing the devastating news of John the Baptist’s death, Feeding the five thousand, and of walking on the water, and all are followed by times of rest and prayer.
The disciples spending the night on a storm-tossed sea with their Master on the shore. The boat bouncing on the waves and for nine hours they were rowing for all they were worth. I am sure the disciples were wondering, "Are we going to survive this storm? Where is Jesus? Why do I mention this? Because we are like the disciples in our reading. We face the winds, the waves and the storms of life just as they faced them out on the Sea of Galilee. And like the disciples, we wonder why we have to struggle. We question where Jesus is through all of this. We ask ourselves are we going to survive. Is our balance, Rhythm out of step?
In our reading we are told how to respond to the storms of life. More specifically, we are told what the Lord does. For Jesus knew their predicament. He knew about the wind, the waves, how long they had been out there. He knows everything each of us faces too, our concerns, trials, heart-aches, tears, pains, sorrows.
What was Jesus doing during those hours the disciples were out there? And, what does He do while we endure the storms of life? He was praying. Jesus was not with the disciples because He had gone into the mountains to pray. He took time out to pray because he knew it was necessary and important for him to keep a balance, a rhythm in His life.
Whenever Jesus faced a crisis of some sort in His ministry He spent time in prayer. He did this after the excitement of healing on the Sabbath in Capernaum (Mk 1:35-39). He did this after the miracle of the loaves and fish (Mk 6:45f). He did this after the Last Supper as He awaited His betrayal by Judas (Mk 14:26-42).
What did and what does Jesus pray about? When we study Jesus' prayer as recorded in the Gospel of John (Jn 17) we see that Jesus prayed for Himself – that He would not fall into temptation. For His disciples (family, Friends) – that they would remain faithful during trials and storms. For all believers – that they would be one and see His glory. And, when the disciples were fighting for their very lives Jesus kept right on praying. He heard their cries. He knew the danger they were in. And, He kept on praying. Is this something we do?
One of the things that causes a sense of stress at work is a lack of proper rest and recreation, sleep and let’s do nothing time. We all know that we cannot ‘burn the candle at both ends’, but we all do it. Our spouses or friends tell us we doing too much but we just smile sweetly and nod knowingly but we really don’t take any notice. We need to find out what activities we can engage in that refresh and energises us. Do I need solitude in order to be refreshed or do I need to be with other people? St. Anthony, one of the desert Fathers was conversing with some brothers when a hunter came upon them. He saw Anthony and the brothers enjoying themselves and disapproved. So Anthony said to him ‘Put an arrow in your bow and shoot it.’ The hunter did this. ‘Now another; and another.’ Then the hunter said ‘If I bend my bow all the time it will break’. Abba Anthony replied, ‘It is like that in the work of God. If we push ourselves beyond measure, the brothers will soon collapse. It is therefore right from time to time to relax.’’
A rhythm of life should be exactly that, a rhythm, not a full concerto with every instrument written up, but rather the background beat that keeps everything else in order, that calls things back on track when they deviate, that reminds us of the type of music we are wanting to play, or perhaps more accurately, what type of lifestyles we are wanting to lead.
Simplicity is the key, the rhythms of life that have worked, and continue to work are those that are easily understood and grasped, The simplicity means that it is far easier to work Prayer, work and recreation into everyday life, as they are easy to memorise.
Sunday have always been seen as a day of rest and for most of us Sunday is a day when we have the opportunity to be refreshed spiritually as well as mentally and physically. We lost the battle back in the 80’s to keep Sunday Special but there is much that we can do to regain the ground. And it starts with making changes in our own lives.
A PRAYER A DAY, helps you work, rest and praise.