“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NRSV
Dear Friends,
 “Weary, tired, worn out”, situations which bear down on us that never quit.
 Dealing with an illness that seems to never go away or comes back with a vengeance.
 A decision which needs to be made, but either solution is far from satisfactory.
 An act of injustice has been committed and it bothers us greatly.
 Someone either we know or love has died, and they can’t be replaced in our lives or their death seems horribly unfair.
This list, could also be called some of the “burdens” which might weigh us down. Some of them I have
experienced myself. Most recently I was “burdened” by an act of injustice that was done to someone close to me,
and I was especially “weighed down” by my inability to do anything, and watching it go from bad to worse. Whether
you identify with my list, or maybe you can add to it, how are you dealing with your burdens??
Jesus in Matthew’s gospel gives us an invitation as to what we can do with our “burdens.” We can take them to
him, and he promises rest, a pause, or maybe even a cessation. The original context of this verse was Jesus speaking
to those who felt burdened by the requirements of the Jewish faith at that time. (Religion causing burdens, who’d
have thought ???).
One of my prayers, or goals for our church is that for everyone who comes in through our door, long time
member, newcomer, or visitor will find that Jesus can take whatever burden they have, and find Jesus’ promise of
rest.
One of the words that can describe the place where people gather in the church is the word “sanctuary.”
Wikipedia defines it, “in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven,
by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety.” One of the concepts behind this word is found in
the old testament where cities were to be set aside in the promised land if someone had accidently killed someone,
they could flee to a certain city to protect them from immediate revenge (Numbers 35:9-16).
Sanctuary can happen when someone is welcomed for who they are and not judged. Sanctuary can happen
when someone finds the “rest” Jesus promises through a song, piece of music played, or a hymn. Sanctuary can
happen when the word of God is read, when the word is preached, or in meeting Jesus at the altar in
Holy Communion hearing the words “this is my body broken for you, this is my blood shed for you.” In these ways
and many others, “sanctuary” can happen for all of us gathered in worship.
It leads me to think of a familiar chorus in a new way:
“Lord prepare us to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true,
With thanksgiving,
We’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”
May we be, both as a church and as individuals that “sanctuary” rooted
in Jesus Christ, so that anyone who walks through our door can hear
those words of Jesus, “Come to me, all you who labor and carrying heavy
burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Your brother in Christ,
John
August 2016