A Note From Father Bob

“Come unto me all who labor and travail, and I will give you rest!” – Jesus.

We just came through another Labor Day weekend. We celebrated the work force in America…all the working men and women who help to make our country great. Most of us pride ourselves in our work,… the work we do and the work we have done. For many of us this is where we find our self-worth. It is said that if you want something done, ask somebody who already has a lot to do. We pride ourselves in how busy we tend to stay. Our labor is a reflection of our worth.

One of my favorite show tunes is from Porgy and Bess: “Summer time and the living is easy.” But I would dare say that summertime is one of the busiest times of the year… with vacations, families coming to the lake for visits,…our calendars fill up faster than ever. I am happy to see September get here, so that maybe things will slow down! Or at least we will be on a more steady schedule! Maybe Fall is a time for us to catch our breath! Are any of us proud of the amount of rest we get? Do we measure our worth by our nap time?

A recent survey taken of the readers of Christianity Today asked what was the most abused or neglected commandment of the Ten Commandments. I was surprised that the number one answer was “Thou shalt keep the sabbath day holy.” But after I thought about it, I had to agree that it is really hard to take a day of holy rest in today’s busy world.

Jesus said “Come unto me all who labor and travail, and I will give you rest…my burden is light, and my yoke is easy.” There is a lot going on at St. James, every day of the week…but when we turn to Jesus, we find that the things we are doing, for His sake, become a joy rather than a burden. And when we yoke with one another in our tasks, that yoke becomes easy.

Bob +