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Being and Doing

Having some time off has given me the chance to think about 'being'.  I've been part of an ongoing conversation about how our culture is obsessed with productivity and how our churches are focused more on doing many things but not on 'being'.    The Martha and Mary text is often used to show that the 'better way' is to be at the feet of Jesus.  It is a good reminder that we can be so consumed with the task that we're missing out on the great things Jesus is offering us, but withdrawing from doing doesn't result in 'being'. 

Being and doing go hand in hand.  I realize that it is because of my doing that I truly have grown in being with Jesus.   It is the doing that has driven me to my knees in prayer.  It is the pressure of responsibilities that has forced me to lean on the strength and guidance of God's word and Spirit.    I've watched several people withdraw from responsibilities in the name of 'being' and simply drift farther and farther from the church community without really finding refreshment or any renewed motivation.  In one case an individual withdrew from the leadership team of their church in order to explore 'being' instead of doing.  Today that individual is still in the same place, feeling like she is stuck on a perpetual treadmill of doing but now even more isolated and alone.  The issue is never resolved by withdrawing from fulfilling family responsibilities at home or in the church.

Being requires doing.  If we take the creation story as an example, God rests from his work.  Resting is something he does.  And the creation story sets up a work/rest cycle in the created order.   It would seem that rest is  1/7th of the things God does in the beginning.    Our issue with 'being' isn't that we have many responsibilities but that we completely neglect the command to do something - rest.  

If we take Jesus' example his short rest in Mark chapter one, is less about withdrawing and more about connecting with the Father to reflect on his work in order to re-engage with a clear focus.  He takes a short time out to pray, to think and reflect, and then he gets back to his mission.    Resting is something we do as part of fulfilling our responsibilities.   Thanks to the Antioch School program that I'm in I've been forced to stop and reflect.  I've been forced to develop a work/rest cycle that includes short periods of stepping back and reflecting on life and ministry in order to fulfill my role and responsibilities more fully.  It is the one thing I've resisted but I'm so glad that I eventually submitted to it.

As I come to the end of my third week of sabbatical I realize the importance of being and doing.    This break was ten years in the making and I realize that like the Israelites of long ago I have a tendency to ignore God's command to rest.  If you feel like you are on autopilot just doing things for the sake of doing them, the solution isn't to withdraw from responsibilities or to step out indefinitely.  The solution is to make sure your doing includes some resting.  A work/rest cycle that includes reflection, evaluation, prayer, envisioning is the key to truly being all God has called you to be. 



   

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