What kind of slacker church plant takes a week off from meeting?!?

That’s a decent question for us to consider since that’s exactly what RCC is doing this Sunday. We aren’t meeting – no service, no leadership meeting, no project to love our city, no prayer gathering…absolutely nothing.

It’s not because I’m on the verge of burnout. It’s not because we figured out we get along better as a church when we’re not together. Nor is it a chance to visit other churches!

It’s about Sabbath rest. It’s about intentionally creating space in our lives to breathe. It’s about reminding ourselves that we are not the ones building this church; Jesus is building His church.

When need to make a big deal of rest because our whole culture is pretty bad at it. Life in DC is fast-paced, intense and driven. I think it’s safe to say the same thing about our church – we push hard and I wouldn’t want it any other way. But all of that can suffocate our souls if we’re not careful. I talk with people who have gotten to the point where they’re uncomfortable with rest; they feel guilty for slowing down. If we’re honest, some of us may have even forgotten how to rest.

We need to reclaim the value of rest. It honors God. It reminds us of our limits. It keeps us happier, healthier and more productive. Most importantly, it nourishes our souls in deep and important ways. As author and pastor John Ortberg writes, “the soul craves rest. The soul knows only borrowed strength. The soul was made to rest in God the way a tree rests in soil.”

Sunday is a chance for us to borrow more strength from God. It’s a chance to push our roots deeper into the soil of grace. It’s a chance to worship.

To help guide your time of rest, I’ll be posting a devotional guide to this blog and our email list on both Saturday and Sunday. My prayer is that the weekend will lead your soul to rest and receive much from Jesus.