Sermon: Sunday July 11, 2020

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that God had done, and God rested on the seventh day from all the work that God had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that God had done in creation.”

– Genesis 1: 31-2:3

“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.”

– Luke 24: 28-31

Hi everyone, my name is Megan and I’m the Head Cook here at Wilderness this summer. I want to start by saying that standing here and giving a sermon today feels like a really significant moment for me. I grew up Catholic, and in that faith practice, only ordained priests or deacons can give sermons. So while this is something I’ve always wanted to do, it’s also something I never imagined I’d be able to do, and I’m just so excited to be here doing this today.

 

Today I’ll be talking about rest and creation. Here I am loosely defining rest as whatever helps you to enter into your work with your whole heart. This might be sleeping, reading a book, spending time with friends, spending time outside, or whatever else equips you to return to your work with energy. For my definition of rest, the key part is that it is an activity that re-energizes you for your work. In today’s reading from Genesis, it stands out to me that the phrase “God rested from all the work that God had done” is repeated. God also only calls creation “very good” in the verse right before the start of this reading, on the sixth day of creation, after which God rests. So, it seems like rest must be pretty important. Both of these repetitions place emphasis on God resting. This is interesting to me because God, as an all-powerful being, does not need to rest. I don’t think God rested because God was exhausted after six days of creation. Instead, I think God rested to set an example for us of how we ought to live. We are not all-powerful beings, and if we don’t rest, eventually we will not be able to continue our work. I also think God rested to highlight the importance of what just happened–the creation of the world is a significant event! In addition, I think it is important to note that God creates rest in this story, and God creates rest to be “very good.” Rest is not a physical entity like plants or animals or mountains, but each action is a part of creation in some way. So, it seems to me that rest is among the things designated “very good.” 

 

I want to talk about three main things regarding rest today: it helps us to first pay attention; second, practice gratitude; and third, give generously.

 

So first, rest helps us to pay attention and be more attuned to experiences of God. I see this illustrated in today’s Gospel reading from Luke. Shortly after the death of Jesus, two of his followers are travelling to Emmaus. Along the way, the resurrected Jesus joins them on their journey, but they are so focused on the work of reaching their destination and filling him in on the events of the past few days that they don’t recognize Jesus. It is only when they stop to rest, to share a meal together, that they realize God was in their midst.

 

I see a parallel between this story and canoe trips. Canoe trips are journeys and they’re often difficult. Through each day’s work of paddling and portaging, it can be hard to notice in the moment where and how God is present. Often it’s only at the end of the day, reflecting and breaking bread with each other around the campfire, that we realize God was with us all along. On trips through Wilderness Canoe Base, we have the practice of asking one another “Where did you see God today?” around the campfire. Discussing this question shows us, like the followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, that God was with us even when we did not recognize it in the moment.

 

I think it can be just as easy today to get so caught up in the work we are doing that we don’t pay attention, missing out on the ways that God is in our midst. Here at Wilderness Canoe Base, one of the clearest ways I experience God is through the life all around me. The variety and the intricacy of it all is amazing. From trees and other plants to creatures big and small, to all the wonderful humans on these islands, God shows up through all of them. 

 

In the creation story, God calls everything “good.” I mentioned earlier that the verse right before the start of today’s reading from Genesis (1:31) says how God saw that everything was “very good.” I think that rest helps reset our perspective to look at the world in this way, too. It expands our vision beyond a narrow focus on the task in front of us to a broad view of the whole world around us. As we pay attention with this expanded vision, we are better able to practice gratitude.

 

Although this is my third summer here, I feel like it’s the first summer I’ve really started paying attention to all the other beings that call this place home. There are so many amazing creatures that I had either overlooked or just not encountered in past years. Rest has helped me pay attention to and offer gratitude for them. For example, during staff training and the staff canoe trip this summer, it was during times of rest, sitting around the campfire at the end of the day, that I had the chance to notice and give thanks for the little but incredible creatures I share this world with. Butterflies were the most common being to land on me as I sat by the fire. Instead of brushing them away, I took the time to be still and watch them. For the first time I observed how they carefully walk with their tiny feet and looked directly into their shining eyes. I became deeply aware that the life force within those butterflies ultimately came from the same source as the life force within me, and I felt so amazed and grateful that our Creator chose to put us both in this beautiful world.

 

I’ve also had a chance to practice gratitude for what I notice in times of rest in a larger way when I saw not one, but two moose here at Wilderness recently. I was in my cabin at the end of the day, taking some time to rest, when I heard a crashing noise in the woods nearby. I stood very still and paid close attention as the noise moved closer, until at last a moose and her baby emerged, walking right past my window. It was breathtaking, and I don’t think it would have happened if it weren’t for the time of rest and quiet that allowed me to pay close attention. I’m grateful for that moment and have a renewed respect for all the beings who call this place home.

 

Of course, we cannot rest forever. We see this in the creation story from Genesis: God takes a day of rest, but God takes action to create on the other days. This brings me to my third and final point: rest equips us to give generously of ourselves as we enter into the work of “Just Love.” We cannot give what we do not have, so I think rest is a vital part of preparing for the work of loving others while also creating a more just world. I see this truth of rest as vital built into the rhythms of creation. Take seeds, for example. I’m a gardener and have grown enough plants from seed to know that it takes time from the moment they are planted to when they finally sprout. The period of rest that they have underground to absorb water, nutrients, and sunlight equips them to grow roots and finally sprout to become what they were created to be. Or consider butterflies like the ones I encountered. The period of rest they have in a chrysalis is essential for their transformation into what they were meant to be. 

 

So too for us. If we are to practice just love, we must make time for rest to equip us to be transformed and to engage in transformational work. We saw in the reading from Genesis that rest is clearly important, and as the reading from Luke illustrated, rest allows us to pay attention to recognize where and how God shows up. Paying attention also helps us practice gratitude, and rest prepares us to give generously of ourselves. My hope for all of us here today is that we may make intentional time for rest so that we may be ready to transform the world with love.

 

Written by Megan Meyer, 2021 Head Cook