Post by Richard on Mar 3, 2007 8:32:09 GMT -5
LUNCH WITH JESUS
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Mark 6:30-34 (NRSV)
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
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Jesus said to his disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
- Mark 6:31 (NIV)
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MY three-year-old aptly said, "Our house is broken." While my husband was away on a trip, we had a plumbing leak that took a week to fix, carpet padding that needed replacing because of damage from the leak, and old carpet that needed to dry. Because the leak was in a main traffic area, our furniture was displaced and the carpet was pulled away to expose the concrete slab underneath.
I needed time alone, but the house was full of noise and workers trying to find the source of the leak. To get away from the chaos, I started having lunch by myself at a pancake house. I took my Upper Room and found peace by reading the meditations. For me, it was time with God.
Today's scripture reading tells us that the disciples were so busy they didn't even have time to eat. They needed rest. Knowing the importance of rest time with God, Jesus invited them to draw aside. Mark 6:45-46 says that Jesus later went away to pray, showing the importance he placed on prayer and solitude. Like the disciples and Jesus, we need rest and time with God, but it is not always possible to draw aside. That's okay. We can look for time and ways within our daily routine to be with God. A quiet place can be anywhere, even a pancake house.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to realize when we need rest, and then help us to find a quiet place to be alone with you. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Meditating on God's word restores the soul.
-- Cathy Lee Taylor (Quebec, Canada)
PRAYER FOCUS: Those struggling to find time with God
_________________________
Mark 6:30-34 (NRSV)
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
_________________________
Jesus said to his disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
- Mark 6:31 (NIV)
_________________________
MY three-year-old aptly said, "Our house is broken." While my husband was away on a trip, we had a plumbing leak that took a week to fix, carpet padding that needed replacing because of damage from the leak, and old carpet that needed to dry. Because the leak was in a main traffic area, our furniture was displaced and the carpet was pulled away to expose the concrete slab underneath.
I needed time alone, but the house was full of noise and workers trying to find the source of the leak. To get away from the chaos, I started having lunch by myself at a pancake house. I took my Upper Room and found peace by reading the meditations. For me, it was time with God.
Today's scripture reading tells us that the disciples were so busy they didn't even have time to eat. They needed rest. Knowing the importance of rest time with God, Jesus invited them to draw aside. Mark 6:45-46 says that Jesus later went away to pray, showing the importance he placed on prayer and solitude. Like the disciples and Jesus, we need rest and time with God, but it is not always possible to draw aside. That's okay. We can look for time and ways within our daily routine to be with God. A quiet place can be anywhere, even a pancake house.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to realize when we need rest, and then help us to find a quiet place to be alone with you. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Meditating on God's word restores the soul.
-- Cathy Lee Taylor (Quebec, Canada)
PRAYER FOCUS: Those struggling to find time with God