We live in a city that works hard. Its hard to believe that we put in so many hours, but the surveys that I read say that Americans work more. Msnbc, for example, says that we have four weeks less vacation than the Europeans per year. We even work two weeks more per year than the Japanese.
I'm tired because I'm overworked. The population of this country is 240 million. 85 million are retired. That leaves 155 million to do all the work. 100 million are in school or children. That leaves 55 million to do all the work. 8 million are unemployed. 25 million work for governments. That leaves 22 million to do all the work. 5 million are soldiers, police or firefighters. There are 3.18 million in hospitals. There are 12 million people in prisons. That leaves 2 million to do all the work. 1.8 million are on vacation and 19,998 are on disability. That leaves two people to do all the work. You and me. And I’m not always sure about you!
So the blizzard is not our friend. We have a live camera this morning on the prayer garden. It interrupts the work that we have planned. The mayor makes emergency orders to avoid travel unless necessary. But there is a completely different pattern in the scriptures. There is a blessing for you in the blizzard. The blizzard is one of those events that interrupt our lives and our work and we should receive it as a gift.
We’re going to look at some Bible passages this morning on the theology of play. God has a design to restore and renew our lives. We have brought in some vacation Bible School songs to help us with our joy and laughter. And our fireplace is going to be here for the entire morning - another gift from God for relaxation. So I hope this service is a blessing for you and a way to prepare for an enjoyable afternoon.
Our society has promoted work to such a high degree that we have lost the plan for renewal. We’re going to recover that plan in our thoughts together this morning. Let’s worship
One of the rules of church life 50 years ago was silence on Sundays. You were not supposed to buy anything on Sunday. Many states had blue laws which made it illegal for stores to be open on Sunday. As a child, it was a special thrill to travel on Sunday because that was the only time that we would stop at a restaurant on Sunday. You knew that you were really on a trip if you were eating out on Sunday.
And church on Sunday might be a solemn affair. I remember the church that we attended in Buffalo. There was a sign on the door, Enter in Silence, Depart to Serve. Well, if you were feeling too happy on the way to church, that was a good reminder that we serve the God who wants silence in the temple.
I first became aware that the Bible has a different idea when I was working on message about working. I started to research the word ‘work’ and I kept getting referred to special feast days with the command ‘do no work.’ At first I was annoyed because we don’t use any of those feast days now. But then I realized that the feasts were not put in the calendar to annoy the Jews and keep them from a productive week. They were placed in the calendar so that people had many chances for fun and relaxation. The Jews were an agricultural people. The work was hard for shepherds and those raising corn and vineyards. Farming takes your energy. God’s renewal for them was the feast days as well as the regular worship. Its very clear in Exodus. The command not to work is not just for the solemn worship of God. It says that you stop work on the 7th day so that you may have rest and your donkey may have rest and the workers may have rest. God uses rest, and play, and fun to renew creation.
This is so important that In Exodus 34, the law extended even into the harvest season. We all have those times at work where it simply has to get done. And I am not sure how to handle this verse because for the Jews, the one critical season was the harvest. My last church was in an area where there was hay. To cut and bale the hay, it needs to be dry. The worst case is to cut it and then have a storm come up. Hay with water can spontaneously catch fire or explode after it is put into the silo. So there are times when farmers work far into the night in harvest.
God says in Exodus, remember the law to rest even during the harvest.
Once we get the Prayer Garden completed, this will be one more important way that we witness to our faith in the community. We have got to use the Prayer Garden and publicize it after we complete it. It would be a tragedy to go to all this work and no one use it. And one of the ways that the Prayer Garden will help people is to help them get their spiritual life back on track after a hard day.
There are few places in Jackson Heights that invite you to come in just to get your life balance back. Now we are such a work driven society that it sounds weak to even say that. We feel like we shouldn’t really need that. Just take a vitamin and keep on working. But the Bible says that renewal is an incredibly important need. As we honor God’s word with the Prayer Garden, it will be one more ministry that draws people into the church.
Worship and joy are not in opposition. C.S. Lewis said that the greatest thing that the Psalms did for him was express the joy that made David dance. There is a lot of the Bible for joy and beauty as much as anything else. Psalm 148 beautifully embellishes the word, "Halleluyah!"
So on this Noreaster Sunday, it’s an afternoon to relax and renew life. Its not a day to worry. Here are a few ideas of what God might want for you. Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Read a children's book. Stop and remember five things you are glad for; thank God for them. Drink a mug of hot cocoa. Slowly. Walk out to a restaurant carefully and share a pizza. I remember a happy moment years ago when our family traveled to Old Forge in the Adirondacks after Christmas. We spent the day sledding and found a pizza place for supper. The atmosphere inside was terrific as people warmed up from the snow. It was totally relaxing, just because of the contrast with the weather outside.
Our singing is renewal. Singing is a part of our worship because it is more than just getting information. It is a physical response to God that renews us and gets our life balance back. The Psalms have many commands to sing a new song to the Lord.
In the Bible, dancing is renewal. Miriam is the most famous example, but dance was always part of the Old Testament worship. David danced before Yahweh with all his might." The psalms jubilantly sing, "Let them praise his name with dancing,” In Ecclesiastes, dancing is identified with joy: "...a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..."
So let us find a blessing in the blizzard. And in the next time that something unexpected stops you from your work. Is it really a tragedy and you need to feel frustration? Or is God simply giving you a feast day and a special chance for fun and renewal? Amen.
