Early in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Word of this miraculous healing spreads quickly throughout the town, and before the night is over, the house is filled with people seeking healing. According to Mark, “many” were healed. The next morning, long before dawn, Jesus leaves the house to find a solitary place to pray. (Mark 1:32–35)
Sabbatical — a time of renewal — is, in many ways, a time to rise before dawn, to seek a solitary place, and to pray.
Although the other Gospels tell this story differently, there is something in Mark’s telling that stays with me. Jesus is at the very beginning of his ministry. He performs his first public healing and is immediately inundated with requests. If “many” were healed, what does that mean for the others?
I wonder if, in the midst of healing, Jesus was also teaching others how to heal. Perhaps not everyone was healed while he was there because others were learning to carry the work forward. Perhaps Jesus knew when it was time to step away — to rest, to reflect on what had happened, and to reconnect in prayer. Perhaps he trusted those whose turn it was to serve, preparing himself for what would come next.
This rhythm of recreation, reflection, and reconnection is the rhythm we will all be invited into this summer. While I am away, you, too, will be invited into renewal through journaling, special events, programs, community dinners, and worship opportunities. In many ways, our journeys this summer will mirror one another.
So I encourage you to take full advantage of the buffet of possibilities before you. Try something new: a different program, a new service opportunity, a different style of worship. Attend a community dinner and get to know someone you haven’t met before. Come to the Restoration & Resistance singing workshop — whether you think you can sing or not! And be sure to mark your calendar for our all-church retreat, September 18–20, when we will gather again to reconnect after this season of renewal.
Though I am not Jesus, and we are not the early disciples, we are still a community whose presence is deeply needed in this world. People are walking through our doors seeking healing, connection, and belonging. People are already among us seeking those same things. And together, we are enough.
With Gratitude For Our Renewal,
Pastor Lauren