June is arrived and talk of vacation is as heavy as the hot and humid air outside.  One of the phenomena I have witnessed is that often a “vacation” after a vacation is necessary.  For most people vacation is going and playing hard for a week or two or packing our “unlabor” times with activity and travel.  We then feel cheated when we return home exhausted from “taking a break.” 

Rarely are we ready to head back to work.

This common scenario is actually testimony to our rebellion against God.  God created work and yet he also commands regular labor stops.  In fact God commanded a lot of labor stops.  Long before forty hour work weeks and the invention of the “weekend,” God told his people that they must take a complete break every seventh day.  In addition to the required weekly break, there were at least three other annual “rest days.”  Even more alluring, to my mind, is every seventh year was to be a “rest year.”  Furthermore every fiftieth year was to be a jubilee of rest:  rest not only from the normal labors, but rest (through complete forgiveness) of all debts.

I hear regularly how all God does is tell us what to do and keep us from having any sort of fun.  It is a fact in evidence that, as God, God is bossy.  What is often overlooked is God uses his authority to actually lead us to grace.  The grace of a weekly break, the grace of annual breaks, the grace of a seventh year break, the grace of forgiveness of all debts.  

My friends at Main Street will be considering how best to obey God’s command to take real breaks.  It may be a surprise to many to hear how concerned God is that we have regular, uninhibited access to rest.