Rest and the Christian life?

When do you rest? If you're like most Americans, rest in the middle of an average day or week can be difficult to come by. The pressures of family life, life at work and/or school, and maintaining good friendships can be overwhelming at times. Yet, time and again, we see Jesus bearing witness to the fact that we must develop a regular pattern of 'stopping life' altogether. Jesus healed on the Sabbath, but his whole life was spent resting and 'abiding in the Father.'

What do you think the scriptures have to say about the rapid pace of life that we keep here in America? Ellen Davis, a biblical scholar at Duke Divinity School, has suggested that, for a Christian, 'the first thing we must learn about work is when to stop working.' When God created the earth, he rested on the seventh day from his labors. How can begin practicing rest and renewal in 21st America? What struggles do we face in getting to the place where rest is a daily and weekly reality?

Ok...now it's time to hear from some of you. Hope that we can begin talking!

Jack

Off and running!

Hey everyone...

Welcome to Theophany Table Talk! Thanks for checking out our new blog space on the web. My name is Jack King, and I pastor a small, informal 'church within a church' at Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN. Church Street is a large downtown congregation in Knoxville, situated along the banks of the Tennessee River and next to the University of Tennessee. Because our morning services are traditional in form, a small group within our church came together last November to organize a new expression of worship and Christian community that seeks God in ways 'both ancient and future.' The outcome of those gatherings was 'Theophany--An Alternative Worship Service at Church Street.' 'Theophany' is a word which means 'an authentic, visible encounter with God.' Every opportunity we have to worship together, we are seeking that authentic encounter with the triune God.

As God calls us onward in his kingdom, we believe that conversation amongst fellow believers helps us build community. Hence, the emergence of this blog and 'Theophany Table Talk.' This blog is a space where we can explore questions and topics of the Christian faith as a community. My prayer is that we would develop conversations online in the same manner as we might do in a living room or at a coffee shop. The important thing for us to do as Christians is to begin 'talking about things that really matter.' This faith brings an immense amount of questions. This is a space where we can talk about those questions. My hope is that we can encourage and support one another in this space as well. Also, please feel free to mention this blog to others who have questions about the Christian faith and/or are seeking to know more about Jesus Christ.

Every so often, we'll introduce a topic of conversation and ask for your thoughts. We also might continue conversations or topics that began in our worship experiences together. Please feel free to take conversations wherever the Spirit leads!

Ok...hope this helps you all get acquainted with Table Talk!

Blessings

Jack