Hello Church!
This week Pastor Mark Nsimbi is preaching on the spiritual discipline of practicing the Sabbath- a day of rest. Pastor Mark is titling his sermon, "The Blessings of Rest". What a blessing rest is, isn't it? I will admit- resting is a challenge for me these days. I often say I don't regret any meeting, appointment, or obligation I waited to get ready for until the very last minute because I was sleeping in, or just resting- because then I had kids. And I had to learn how to rest in the midst of being "unrested". I'm still learning of course, so I'm going to let you in on some of my journey.
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith wrote a book called Sacred Rest, which dives into her research about seven types of rest that impact many of her patients. She is a physician, an author, a motivational speaker, and a mom- amongst many other roles, I'm sure.
On her website, there is a frequently-taken test called the "Rest Quiz". I took the quiz, and I'll admit I scored very, very badly. But I have a wonderfully clear understanding of my "rest deficits", as Dr. Dalton-Smith calls them. The quiz is a series of questions to monitor the seven categories of rest you are receiving- or not receiving. And, after taking the test you receive a score and a description of each category. Here is what was sent to me after taking the quiz:
"Congratulations on taking the first step on your journey to finding the rest you need!
In my book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, I share about these seven types of rest I found lacking in many patients and how rest impacts every part of our lives:
Physical: The chance to use the body in restorative ways to decrease muscle tension, reduce headaches, and promote higher quality sleep.
Mental: The ability to quiet cerebral chatter and focus on things that matter.
Spiritual: The capacity to experience God in all things and recline in the knowledge of the Holy.
Emotional: The freedom to authentically express feelings and eliminate people-pleasing behaviors.
Social: The wisdom to recognize relationships that revive from ones that exhaust and how to limit exposure to toxic people.
Sensory: The opportunity to downgrade the endless onslaught of sensory input received from electronics, fragrances, and background noise.
Creative: The experience of allowing beauty to inspire awe and liberate wonder.
Below are your personal rest deficit assessment results. Use these results to help you see which types of rest you already excel at and which ones you need to focus on improving.”
As I read over my quiz results I found that each score resonated on a deep level for me. Life is full of joy and wonder- and it's also full of struggle, grief, and stress. I love that she describes the Spiritual rest section as, "The capacity to experience God in all things". You know what is so precious? That God gave us the capacity to experience God. God is always speaking over us, interacting with us, and speaking to us. God even created a day for us to stop everything we are doing, so we can rest.
On Sunday we'll explore the biblical meaning of the Sabbath and talk about the holiness that is just simply slowing down to reflect and connect with God.
If you are like me and need a little extra help slowing down, here is a resource for you from Dr. Dalton-Smith's Worship Therapy podcast:
Worship Therapy Archives - Dr. Dalton-Smith - I Choose My Best Life
I hope it blesses you as you practice resting.
See you Sunday,
Chelsea Maitland
