Exodus 23:12

 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the 7th day you shall rest: that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien may be refreshed.”

 

Context:

Rest is baked into the rhythms of life for humans and for animals. Both require refreshment and rest. Employees and immigrants also need rest. The new community the Lord was shaping made provision not only for the elites to rest but for ordinary men and women regardless of their economic or social status. This was a radical development for the ancient world and, perhaps, for our hyper-busy, interconnected global village today.

 

Questions for reflection:

  1. What boundaries do you have between work and rest in your life?
  2. What spiritual practice could enrich your rest so that it enables you to be genuinely refreshed?
  3. How could you ensure someone else you know gets the rest they need?

 

Prayer Pointers:

  • Pray for those who have to work on Sundays and are therefore separated from their families and neighbors: veterinarians, doctors, emergency personnel, Uber drivers, etc
  • Pray for migrants, international students, and refugees in Boston who may feel anxious about their status in the US at this time
  • Pray for those at Restoration Fellowship who are unable to attend the Getaway because of work or family commitments