Vacation: A Theology of Rest

Happy Monday, readers! I beg your forgiveness on the tardiness of this post, I have been working on school work this morning and neglected to set this post to upload early, hence the lateness.

As you can clearly note from the title, I wanted to chat a little about the need for rest, a “theology of rest” if you will. As I have done thus far with this blog, this post will simply be an introduction into a topic that I wish to develop more fully over time (and through conversations with you as my readers). So, for today, I am going to make a few introductory comments and then share some photos from a trip that my bride and I recently took to Huntsville, AL to attend a Comicon, visit the Space & Rocket Center, a few used bookstores, and try out some great German food!

First, however, as is our want, let’s define the term.

Defining Terms

This section will be short this week, if only because I have not read many sources regarding this topic (at least not that many that are coming to mind). But, what do I mean by “a theology of rest”? In short, I would define this term as it reads: A theology of rest is a proper understanding of the rest that all humanity needs and requires. This includes not only sleep at the end of the day, but also taking time away from work for an extended period.

As always, I will clarify this definition as I come to a better understanding of it.

Understanding “Rest”

I think this section is necessary in a post on a topic like “rest.” If we were to look back throughout human history, we would clearly understand and perceive that the last few generations of humanity (particularly in the West) have been more “leisurely” than most of human beings. Obviously this is an over-exaggeration, we can easily point to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians as examples. However, the predominant and prevailing understanding today is that it’s assumed that everyone needs and must take a vacation, so you get the point on why we need a moment to properly understand rest, especially from a biblical perspective.

So, where should we begin to base our understanding of “rest?” Much like our discussion on the imago Dei, this teaching begins with the first book of Scripture, Genesis, specifically Genesis 2:2-3 – “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

The short of it is this: we rest because God rested. We also rest because we are finite. We rest because our bodies need it, much like how we eat because our bodies need it. Most importantly though, we rest because God commands it: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11

Let me make a couple of final, “lightning round,” comments on a theology of rest to get us thinking for the purpose of future posts.

First, a theology of rest can also be known as a theology of work. The whole point of work is to labor… but it’s also to rest because God rested. We’ll look more at this in a later post.
Second, the theology of rest goes further than just resting our bodies in sleep (an image of death) or in going on vacation. A theology of rest, on a greater and spiritual level, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the rest that we find in the finished work of Jesus. Again, we’ll look more at this in a later post as well.

Huntsville Trip!

Now to the fun stuff! Here are a few photos from our trip this past week. If you’ve never been to Huntsville, AL I would recommend a few days there to appreciate the Space & Rocket Center, the great food, and a fun city.

Space & Rocket Center – If you’re a big ol’ NASA nerd like me, then this is a place to check out. They do a great job of chronicling the history of manned space flight from the United States. While many of the interactive features were closed due to COVID19 concerns, we still had a great time.

Ol’ Heidelberg Cafe – Okay… so I know it’s pretty cliche to take photos of your food while on vacation, but we fell in love with this place! So much so, that we went twice over our 4 day trip! Homemade German food and cakes? Count the Browns in! Also, we sat near that authentic cuckoo clock on both visits. Sharon has a great picture of me grinning like a moron every time it went off. I foresee us obtaining one for a home pastor’s study in the very near future. Anyway, if you appreciate good food, check this place out on your trip to Huntsville.

Cafe 153 – In keeping with the food theme, I suppose I should mention this great little cafe in the Bridge Street Town Shopping Center. And… unless I’m mistaken based upon their books, art, and the giant verse painted on the wall, this is a Christian owned establishment. The great thing about this place was not only the food, but the atmosphere. They also had a bookshelf for diners to help themselves to while enjoying a sandwhich or a cuppa. Throw some business their way if you’re in town.