Monday - Sermon Title “Gotta Get Away”
There is much in life that will stress us out. The pressures on all of us are overwhelming, and the summer is a time to find time to recollect our thoughts and our spirits. It is a time to find ourselves again.
Jesus, from time to time, needed to “get away from it all”. He found a place he could go and there were times in his life when it was important to go there.
We can get away by simply spending time in reflection; a spiritual retreat. We can get away from it all going to a place we’ve never been, and we can get away from it all as we are surrounded by friends and loved ones.
Bill Henson writes about the time in his ministry he was asked to give a speech in South Carolina. It had been a particularly stressful time for him in his church in Houston. There had been a murder of a staff member, a fine in the church, and a decision about whether to stay at the present location or move. He remembers how he had never been as tired as he was when he finished his speech that night. The pastor of the church asked him to stay after the presentation and answer questions. He remember leaning against a wall and wondering if he could make it through the next hour while people came up to him asking him questions and pointing out the error of his thinking. At the end of the line was a familiar face. It was his daughter. She had barrowed a car and driven from school to visit with her dad. The two of them went to a local all-night restaurant and visited until the early hours of the morning. Finally, she got back in her car and drove back to school. Bill noticed something. He was no longer weary. His conversation with his daughter had energized him. Being with the people we love will lift our spirits and will revive us.
If you have thoughts, please leave a comment with this post. For personal thoughts write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. I look forward to hearing from you.
- Charles
