new thoughts

                   Still here in Sheffield at the conference run by St Thomas church. Continuing today in the Lifeshapes series and thinking about the importance of the balance between work and rest. We began in John 15 and the idea of abiding in Christ and bearing fruit often through pruning which is constant in our Christian walk, especially when the fruit is ripe and apparent in us.

 

       The key word is fruitful which in turn takes us back to our very origin as those made in the image of God. Gen 1;26 reminds us that we are made to be fruitful not just in producing children but also in producing the fruit of righteousness. We are also made to work as part of Gods blessing to us as human beings. And to work in the context of a life lived in the balance of rest and work which God created us to enjoy. Adam and Eve were created on day six and the next day, their first, was a day off, a rest day. So we are to work from rest, not to rest from work. We are to plan our rest first and then to plan our work.

 

      And in the resting there is an abiding in Christ which enables us to know intimacy with him. And in the work we will produce fruit of even better quality. So the semi circle is created by a swinging pendulum, swinging between abiding and resting on one side and working and being fruitful on the other.

 

Quite a challenge.

 

Gordon  McDade