I took a bit of a retreat this last week – two and a half days. To be honest with you, I have been seriously stressed out lately. I have concerns about my family, concerns about my travel schedule, and concerns about the organization that I run. I even have concerns about my concerns!!! To say that I have been a little uptight would be a colossal understatement.
There are two things I need to let you in on: one is that I love baths. The bathtub at my house is quite small so I rarely take baths, but I love them. I love sautéing! The place I stayed on my short retreat, however, had an amazing, extra large, “my size” tub. You know, the kind that you can get your whole body under water in (I hate the kind you have to keep flipping around in to stay warm enough)? I think I took like five baths during three days. Perhaps it was a bit of an overkill, but it was luxurious. Secondly, I try to make a habit of listening to a prayer service off the Web called “Pray-as-you-go.” You should check it out!
While I was away, I tried to combine both of those. In other words, I would take a bath and listen to “pray-as-you-go.”
On the Monday installment, the Scripture that was read was taken from Luke 10. It's the story of Mary and Martha.
“Now as they were traveling along, he entered a village; and woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to his word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came to him and said, ‘Lord, do not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’”
When the reader (who happened to have a Scottish brogue that sounded just like Sean Connery – which seriously helps Scripture sound more authoritative) read the line, “... you are worried and bothered about so many things...” I had one of those moments that I sensed that it was directly to me. If you're an introspective person, often times the pressures of the world and even life itself becomes quite onerous. I must admit being a "card carrying" member of Club Martha. Worried and bothered by so many things! I should know better!
Another passage that came to my mind was from Philippians 4. These are Paul's words:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The challenging point for me in this is when Paul says, “…the Lord is near.” When I am bound up, worried and bothered by many things, it is as if I am acting like I don’t believe all this Jesus stuff. I don't really trust that the Lord is close, or present. If I really believed that he was present, in his power, in his grace, and in his mercy, would I actually be living in anxiety? It seems to me, that I would be able to garner hope even in the most distressing situations. Not fake or plastic hope, but a hope that buoys and fashions a passageway through.
The answer that Paul gives to this mystery is that I/we are to petition or pray coupled with thanksgiving and the upshot is this: we'll have peace that doesn't even make sense! Peace that is literally a sentry for our souls.
What types of things are you worried about? What are the burdens? What types of things bring you anxiety? Do we have, do I have faith to pray with gratitude about these things and live into the reality that God is not distant but near bringing needed shalom to my frayed context?
