Restlessness is intrinsic to human nature. The famous line from St.Augustine's autobiographical work "Confessions" described the restless seeking of a soul for God. "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee". This has led to the pursuit of pleasure, of happiness, the craving for variety, for instant gratification of senses, and different forms of addictive behavior as a way of coping with the pain of emptiness, meaninglessness, boredom, loneliness and alienation.
Ronald Rolheiser observed, "our spirit is restless because it's divine and insatiable"…. "we are infinite spirits in a finite situation"

How do we understand this Restlessness?

It is unrestrained, spiritual energy which comes from the core of our being.. It is an emptiness that yearns to be filled; a thirst that longs to be quenched; a longing for the transcendent, to be connected with that which is greater than ourselves and our surroundings. It's a desire for communal bonding, reflecting our interdependent nature; It's a need for deep and authentic experiences which compels us to seek, to risk, to explore. It is the struggle to be fully alive.

Restlessness has driven many young evangelicals in search of deeper experiences of truth, of God; a more authentic expression of faith and a radical form of discipleship. Some have chosen to live commune-style, sharing their possessions, adopting a simple lifestyle, giving themselves in acts of service and hospitality to those living in the heart of the urban centers.

These city-based, commune-style groups whose members share a common vision or intention are known as the `new monastic communities'. Unlike the ancient monastics who led holy lives in cloistered, sheltered enclosures – the new monastics are firmly embedded in the urban areas. God is to be found in the heart of the urban landscape. The new monastic communities are intent on living out the radical demands of discipleship; to serve God by ministering to those who are living in poverty, the homeless, the lonely and abandoned. For those who are restless - this commune-style living and experiencing God through acts of service provide the means of channeling their restless energy to constructive use.

What is the attraction of the `new monastic communities'?

"Perhaps it is the hope of finding a new freedom in the face of life's complicated demands. Perhaps the need for some order and structure on the circumstances of their ordinary and daily lives that will provide them a way to find God"
- Esther de Waal, `Seeking God'
For these communities the emphasis is on truth as experienced. God is Love, Justice, Mercy, Compassion lived and expressed in concrete ways in response to a community's needs and concerns.

Communal living and sharing of resources is fraught with difficulties. There's the inevitable personality clash, difference in leadership style, failure to stick to agenda, space constraint, lack of privacy. As frustration and dissatisfaction sets in, some may drop out of the community. Any community is as fragile as the egos that comprise it.

The Los Angeles Times featured one such community in Montana, which struggled to keep their act together and almost dissolved after a year (article, "What chores would Jesus do?" Jan 26, 2008, )
In Jan 2007, 5 friends made a commitment to live together with their young children in commune-style. They shared the intention of becoming "true followers of Christ.. to give generously, love unconditionally…Exchange their middle-class ways for humility and simplicity…forgoing even the basic comfort of privacy.." What brought these friends together in the first place? One was frustrated that modern Christianity had grown "soft and self-centered". Two had stopped going to church because "their lives were too hectic". Two others "went to church more out of habit than conviction". However all were drawn to the ideals embodied by the early Christians, which is "the communal sharing of possessions, living together with one accord, with gladness and singleness of heart". But just 3 months down the road, some members were disillusioned as everyday concerns kept getting in the way of their search of a deeper faith and a simpler life. "A quarter of their year together had passed and the friends felt they had failed. They had not met a single neighbor. They had not given any aid. Everyday life seemed to suck up all their energy; it was draining just to figure out whose turn it was to mop the kitchen floor." (LAT, Jan 26th 2008)

Perhaps it was `restlessness' that drove this group of friends to form an intentional Christian community, in their search for a more authentic expression of their faith. It was the same `restlessness' that threatened to dissolve the community by setting the members apart.

One of the members observed, "I'm never alone. I never have time to think. There's no time to grow". Communal life was supposed to have taught her to resolve conflicts; instead she found herself obsessing about every grievance: how many nights in a row she made dinner or who had scratched her coffee table. Another member remarked, "The focus has to be on God and the way of life he has set out for us, as opposed to the way we want to live, which is very selfish…" He continued, "God is glorified when we spend less time on ourselves and more on other people." Taken to an extreme, this putting others above self, and serving others before meeting one's own needs may lead to an imbalance in one's spiritual rhythm and eventual burnout. Within a year, 2 of the original 5 members left the community. ." (LAT, Jan 26th 2008)

Let's take a look at another `new monastic community' called `The Simple Way' located in one of the poorest neighborhood in North Philadelphia. One of the co-founders, Shane Claiborne, who is also a leading voice in the `new monastic movement' described the movement as one of
"a radical rebirth grounded in God's love and a drawing on the rich tradition of Christian practices that have long formed disciples in the simple way of Christ"
- Shane Claiborne, "The Irresistible Revolution"

Claiborne refers to his community as "ordinary radicals" who try to get back to the roots of Christianity. `Radical' comes from the Latin word `radix', meaning the root of things. Many of the community's members had left a comfortable lifestyle for communal living and sharing of resources. They started community gardens in the neighborhood; tending to the needs of those who were homeless and living in poverty; extending hospitality to those who are strangers.. Essentially living in the spirit of the Beatitudes as a radical expression of Christian discipleship.
The `new monastic communities' offer a more "thoughtful and deliberate way of life that's engaged in community and care for creation and responsive to God's presence in the world" - Tracy Bush, `A Way to Live', Christian Century, 2004

In response to growing urbanization needs, such communities became actively engaged in social issues, helping the urban poor, the needy, and the homeless. Some even took up peace-making and conflict-resolution roles (like Shane Claiborne's group, `The Simple Way'). Claiborne knew the importance of a disciplined contemplative practice, which ensures that a proper spiritual balance is maintained. In the midst of social activism, care must be taken to nurture personal spiritual life as well as community life among members.
In an interview with `Speaking of Faith' (SOF), Claiborne was asked how he managed to survive with the group for 13 years, engaged in social justice issues without getting burnout. [Interview between Krista Tippet (`SOF') and Shane Claiborne, May 2007, on the program titled, "The New Monastics: Interview with Shane Claiborne"

Krista Tippett: Shane, have you gone through periods where you were more dry? How do you imagine not becoming depleted or not becoming cynical? Because cynicism is often something that follows in the wake of movements like this.

Shane Claiborne: We have so much fun, there's joy, celebration, laughter… I keep a really good rhythm of life, a very disciplined life of getting up in the morning for prayer. We have a Sabbath day where we just rest together. We don't answer the door or the phone. All those things are part of our integrated faith, of who we are and the things we share together. We have meals together and function like a family. That keeps us very energized for the long haul.

Claiborne emphasized the importance of Sabbath practice. The rhythm of Sabbath-rest sustained the community's vision of living in `simple' yet `radical' ways.
"Authentic Sabbath practice does not remove us from the world; Rather it plunges us more deeply into the world and its needs because it carries us deeply into the heart and purposes of God" - Tilden Edwards, `Sabbath Time'

Why is the `sabbath-practice' an integral part of our Christian faith? How do we understand `sabbath-rest'?

Gen 2:2 "On the 7th day God ended His work which He had done; He rested on the 7th day from all His work which He had done.
vs.3: Then God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work, which God had created and made."
On the 7th day, God `rested' from His creative activity. It does not mean God needed a break; rather, `rest' here signified completion, satisfaction or contentment. God is satisfied with His creative work and He wants us to learn how to be content with the works of our hands. The Sabbath rest was given to enable us to appreciate and enjoy the fruits of our labor. God has our best interests in mind when He gave us Sabbath-rest. Continual activity without periods of rest is not only counter-productive, but harmful and destructive.

A hunter in the desert saw Fr.Anthony (a desert Father) enjoying himself with his fellow monks. He was shocked and looked disapprovingly. Fr.Anthony wanting to show the hunter that it was necessary sometimes to relax, to meet the needs of the brothers (monks), addressed the hunter. "Put an arrow in your bow and draw it." He did so, and Fr.Anthony said, "Draw it a little further". The hunter did so. And Fr. Anthony said again, "Now draw it further".. to which the hunter replied, "If I draw my bow too far it would break". Fr.Anthony said, "So it is with the work of God. It we stretch the brothers too much, they will quickly break. So we must from time to time relax and indulge them".
from the `Sayings of the Desert Father'

Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for `man' not `man' was made for Sabbath."
I'd like to add, the `sabbath-rest' extends to all God's creatures, including the animal kingdom.
Exod 23:12, "Six days you shall do your work, and the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidservant and the stranger may be refreshed"
There is a spiritual rhythm of `sabbath-rest' that permeates God' creation. It is this rhythm that is hidden in each of us, that we need to discover if we are to enter God's Rest.

Sabbath-rest is God's gift of His presence to humankind. God wants us to simply enjoy His presence without doing anything productive (`waste time'), to relax, have fun and play. God takes our `play time' seriously and even designates a `day' where rest, recreation, relaxation are deemed `holy' activities. Where the observance of Sabbath is part of the 10 commandments (`remember the Sabbath, keep it holy), it is a reminder that God expects us to respect and care for ourselves. To set aside space and time to renew and refresh our body, soul, mind and spirit. Rose Marie Berger, a catholic peace activist and co-editor of Sojourner's magazine observed,
"We have bought the lie that the opposite of play is work. It's not. The opposite of play is despondency… Play is part of our essence created in us by God… It's play that keeps us in sync with the deep and abiding joy in which God created the world… We have confused playing with childish ways that as mature Christians, we are to set aside." - Rose Marie Berger, `On the Seventh Day, God Played' , August 2009, Sojourners Magazine

Both work and play are expressions of God's creative nature, which we share. Sabbath-rest puts in perspective the `holiness' of work when its creative aspect is restored.. (and not work as productive activity aimed at meeting our insatiable needs and wants.

"Keeping Sabbath is an alternative to the cultural rhythms of driven work and escapist entertainment. By grounding our true identity in the love of God, Sabbath experiences liberate us from the compulsive, ego-affirmation as a grateful response to God's redemptive love". - Tilden Edwards, `Sabbath Time'

Sabbath-rest is essential to recovering our spiritual rhythm, to help us avoid the excesses of a consumerist culture. `Sabbath-rest' helps us to connect with our real needs (deepest longings) as distinct from needs shaped by our culture. We learn to value ourselves not by how much we've accomplished or possess. Our true worth lies in being God's beloved people.

`Sabbath-rest' reminds us of our responsibility as God's stewards. We are given charge of the world's resources – to care, nurture, and sustain ourselves and others. But not to plunder, waste, control or destroy God's creation. We lose our dignity as human beings if our work or activities defines us or controls every aspect of our lives.
"Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth… Six days a week we seek to dominate the world; on the seventh day we try to dominate the self… On the Sabbath, we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul"
- Abraham Heschel, `The Sabbath: The Meaning for Modern Man'

Sabbath-rest is a time for renewal, to replenish, to regain perspective and to restore balance to life. As we make the effort to reconnect with our roots, to deepen and strengthen our relationship with God, we are engaging in something `holy'. When we nurture or cultivate "the seed of eternity planted in the soul", we awaken to our `holiness'. When we live in the fullness of each moment, then we live in the fullness of God. It's here that the distinction between the `sacred' and the `secular' dissolves. We begin to appreciate the `holiness' of all things, and the `eternal' in each moment. `Sabbath-rest' is not only a designated day, but `a special quality of time' available daily; or `a special quality of awareness' we bring to each moment.

There's the story of a rabbi who disappeared every Shabbat Eve (Sabbath) "to commune with God in the forest" as his congregation thought. So one Sabbath night, the congregation sent of the members to follow the rabbi and observe the holy encounter. Deeper and deeper into the woods, the rabbi went until he came to the small cottage of an old Gentile woman, sick and crippled into a painful posture. Once there, the rabbi cooked for her and carried her firewood and swept her floor. Then when the chores were finished, he returned immediately to his little house next to the synagogue. Back in the village, the people questioned the one they had sent to follow the rabbi. "Did our rabbi go up to heaven as we thought"? "Oh no" the person replied after a thoughtful pause. "Our rabbi went much, much higher than that".
- from Joan Chittister, `There Is A Season'

The rabbi enjoyed what he was doing. He was filled with a reverence for God, as he served the Gentile woman quietly, joyfully, gracefully without complaining. God was with him all the time – refreshing, renewing his body, mind and spirit. This is what true `Sabbath' is. It is the quality of awareness of God that one brings to each moment or task, that makes whatever you're engaged in `holy'.

`Sabbath-rest' prepares us for the `eternal rest' in God.

According to Jewish folklore… At the time when God was giving the Torah to Israel, God said to them: "My children, if you accept the Torah and observe My law, I will give you for all eternity a thing most precious that I have in my possession." Israel answered, "And what is that precious thing which You will give us if we obey the Torah?" God replied, "The world to come". Israel responded, "Show us in the world an example of the world to come". God answered, "Shabbat (the Sabbath) is an example of the world to come" - Abraham Heschel, "The Sabbath"

I remember the article in Straits Times where Peter Yeo (brother of the late Anthony Yeo) was quoted to have said about his brother.. "when Anthony started chemo, he said there are three kinds of rest. Sabbath, mandatory rest and eternal rest. He told us, `I am prepared for eternal rest' "

Each Sabbath-rest carries an imprint of the Eternal rest. The observance of sabbath-practice does create in us a longing for the Eternal. It prepares us for our final homecoming. It's when we take time to connect with that which is eternal in us. It is the when the restless soul makes peace with the self and finds rest in God.

Authentic Sabbath-practice leads us to the discipline of `resting in God'. This is important if we are to discover our own `rhythm of Sabbath-rest' (or `sabbath-rhythm'). This is essential not only to our health and sanity, but integral to maintaining a viable Christian faith and witness. Christians are no better than others if we allow ourselves to be driven by our compulsive needs and desires; and to become easily distracted and desensitized to the ways of God in the world. The `sabbath-rhythm' opens us to the divine presence in and around us; enables us to respond to a caring and gracious God;

The `sabbath-rhythm' leads us to a life of balance and moderation. A balanced spirituality seems to be lacking among those involved in Christian ministry, where the `Martha-Mary syndrome' seems to be rampant. (see Luke 10:38-42). On the one hand, there may be some who struggle to find rest while busy doing God's work; On the other hand, there may be others who become so absorbed in their own contemplative vision that the needs of others become insignificant. (these are extremes of course). Christian spirituality is a balanced spirituality which provides equal attention to the physical, mental and spiritual needs of a person.

There are other instances of spiritual rhythms which we observe in our lives. eg. a rhythm of activity and contemplation; of doing and being; of stability and movement; of enjoying God and working with God; of solitude and community; of giving and receiving. The rhythm of work-rest-recreation-renewal helps us become less driven and distracted, and to be balanced and function more efficiently.

How do we introduce a `sabbath-rhythm' into our complex, hectic and pressurized lives?
One suggestion is to introduce frequent breaks or pauses in your daily routine where you allow yourself to be `positively-distracted'. Call them moments of `holy interruption' where you invite God into your situation.. Remember. it's the quality of awareness of God's presence which that you bring to each moment or task that makes it holy.

In one of the Sayings of the Desert Fathers..
"There were three monks living together in a hut. One of them observes a life of silence and prayer; Another is ill in bed, yet able to give thanks; The third tends to the needs of both, with a grateful heart. These three are similar, as if their work was one."
Whether you are at work, at rest, in prayer or in recreation,. your actions are one and the same. They all have the same potential of bringing you to a deeper awareness of God, of leading you to God's rest.

What does it mean to enter God's rest?

To enter God's rest involves commitment, discipline, sacrifice and a lot of hard work. `Resting' is often preceded by a period of wrestling with God.
In Heb 4:9-11, we are told how the Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land through disbelief, pride, lack of discipline and disobedience. What prevented the Israelites from entering God's rest is not any different from what prevents us from experiencing God's rest.
Disbelief – A growing insensitivity and hardening of the heart. An inability to discern the movement of God's Spirit in our lives.
Pride – Breeds arrogance and over-confidence which hinders you from hearing and responding to God.
Lack of discipline - When our spiritual muscles become flabby; lacking in faith and endurance
Disobedience - When we ignore God's invitation to experience Sabbath-rest;
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to be "diligent" or make every effort to enter that rest of God" (vs.11) For the Israelites, the Promised Land was God's way of bringing the people to a deeper freedom and intimacy, where they can enjoy God's presence. It was intended to be a rest from their aimless wanderings.

Heb 4:10, "He that is entered into His rest has himself also rested from his works as God did from His"
You `rest' from your works when you acknowledge God as the provider of all your needs. Entering God's rest signifies a relationship of complete trust and dependence in God. It is a state of joy, peace, contentment that comes from knowing our true selves and knowing God intimately. In contrast, `Rest'-lessness is a state of aimless drifting through life without a specific orientation or a sense of destiny..
We need to be diligent (work hard) to enter God's rest.
How much do we really want it? Do we seek intently after it? Are we wiling to commit ourselves to some form of spiritual disciplines… in order to train us to listen better, to understand and to respond in action?

`Resting in God' is not about surrendering your rights and responsibilities to God and do nothing but simply `go with the flow'. God expects our co-operation while working out His purposes in our lives. `Resting in God' describes a state of "active consent and collaboration" (Thomas Ryan).
Matt 11:28-29 illustrates this.. When we invite Christ to journey with us as our companion, guide and co-worker.. our burdens become lighter. (our responsibilities are shared)
vs. 28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
vs. 29, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls
vs. 30, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

`Resting in God' is a relationship of co-dependence and co-operation. Humility is essential to entering God's rest. (vs.29)
A desert father is credited as saying that in life we need two stones. One says, `I am a worm'. (Ps.22:6) The other says,' For me the universe was made'. Remember both. That's humility.

By sharing in Christ's yoke we learn humility, to walk in humble dependence on God's daily provisions (of strength, guidance, wisdom, endurance). Christ's yoke is not a yoke of slavery but of freedom. We learn to function from a deeper level of freedom, no longer driven by our compulsive needs and desires. `Resting in God' means we are content to live each moment as though we are already in the center of God's will. We learn to align our will with God's purposes.

Humility is also an attitude of openness and receptivity to God's inner work of transformation. It involves a commitment to change and growth, a readiness to risk and explore. Humility is the willingness to listen, respond and obey (or to take action). We need humility to recognize our own limits, so that we do not get caught up in a treadmill of endless activities. Our service to others should not leave us burdened, discouraged, weary and exhausted. We learn to pace ourselves even as Christ teaches us how to establish our own spiritual rhythm and to stick with it…

`Resting in God' is a rhythm of `God-dependence' and `self-responsibility'. (ie. to be wholly dependent on God and yet to be fully responsible towards self). Dependence on God's Grace is not a substitute for human activity, nor does it limit our freewill. In any situation or task, God requires us to do our best. The `resting' part involves the willingness to let go of control, to leave the outcome or the result to God. This act of `letting go' reflects our trust and confidence in God's faithfulness. God can be depended on to work out the situation to the best of your interests (or what God regards as best for you).
Esther de Waal (in `Seeking God') puts it, "God's Grace evokes our acts, supports them and fulfills them".
A similar idea is found in Phil 2:13, "...God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure".
[ The Benedictine saying goes, `We pray as if everything depends on God and we work as if everything depends on us' ]

To illustrate this co-dependent and co-operative relationship.. which is essential to entering God's rest.. Let's imagine…..You decided one day to go `river rafting'. You will need an experienced guide who is familiar with every bend, curve, and gradient of the river. The guide has to be safety-conscious, who ensures that you're properly attired with lifejacket, helmet, waterproof sandals. The guide must be able to communicate well in order for you to understand and follow the instructions. The guide has to be trustworthy and reliable, who will help you negotiate the many twists and turns as the river meanders in its course. But it also involves self-reliance or self-responsibility. You must do your bit of paddling, forward and reverse strokes, stopping, ducking (to avoid branches).. all the while listening intently to the instructions of the guide. Through the combined effort of the guide's wisdom and instructions plus your intent listening and obedience to the instructions given, you manoeuvre the raft over the rapids. Occasionally you get a dunking when waters turn choppy, but there are also calm stretches where you relax and enjoy the scenery. Eventually, you learn to establish a rhythm when your movements are synchronized with the paddling orders given. Everything becomes a flow. This is what entering God's rest is.

It is hard work, involving attentive listening, undistracted by your thoughts and surroundings. It a listening which involves the heart, mind and will by making ourselves fully present to God. It's a listening which leads to a definite response and action. This attentive listening and responding in obedience puts us in a "state of ongoing preparedness" (Henri Nouwen's phrase). We are better prepared to face uncertainties and respond to life's challenges with a spiritual resilience. There is a calmness and confidence, an inner strength and assurance that comes from resting and waiting on God.

In Psalm 131, the psalmist describes the soul who has found God's rest "is like a weaned child resting against his mother, composed and quiet" (Psalm 131:2). `Resting in God' is to be secure in the loving embrace of God (the father and mother). Here the soul remains quiet, composed, content and at peace with the self and the world. One who has entered `God's rest' will not be easily disturbed or distracted and remains unshaken.

In conclusion, there are many paths that lead to God, but few will discover the path that leads to God's rest. These ancient pathways are narrow and hard. They tend to conflict with our preferred lifestyle. They challenge the values of dominant culture and our consumerist habits. It requires diligence, determination, discipline, a commitment to listen attentively, a willingness to respond and obey.. before we can discover what are these ancient, reliable, tested ways that help us to enter God's rest.
In the words of Jeremiah 6:16, "The LORD said, `Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls"
[ END ]

Prayer:

God, You who are the source of Life and Light
Whose creative power sanctifies rest and renewal.
You blessed becoming with being;
You complete doing with non-doing.
You honored labor and rest
The two together make the world.
Creation was incomplete without Sabbath
I rest when I cease my struggle to control
I rest when I abandon my pride of ownership.
I rest when I give thanks for who I am.
Grant that I may set aside moments during the day..
To enjoy the works of Your creation by sharing Your Rest,
To renew and refresh my weary spirit for Rest is the source of my creativity,
To honor all that I have been given,
To review my mission and my priorities,
To set aside the labors that define me and uncover my true self that cannot be defined,
To find in the quiet, Your Presence urging me to wholeness
To open my heart to joy and my mind to truth.
And may I live my life in such a way that each moment fulfills the promise of this moment.
- A Shabbat Prayer, adapted from `Minyan: Principles for Living a Life of Integrity' - Rabbi Rami M Shapiro