Bethany Bullet - July 28, 2010

How Sweet the Sound of Recreation

“News about Jesus spread all over so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of all their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to solitary places and prayed.” -Luke 5:15-16

Prior to walking on water, feeding 5000, raising the widow’s son, or calming the storm on the sea, Jesus withdrew. He retreated, recharged, and recreated.

Certainly summer is for us a time of retreating, recharging, and recreating. Recreation is delightful. For some that draws them to a beach or pool side, spread out on a blanket or lounge chair, perhaps clinging to an umbrella decorated drink. There are those who find recreation in the great outdoors, tents, trailers or RV’s destined for national parks and the glory of creation; for others recreation takes them to great sights of historical or cultural significance, monuments built through talent of human ingenuity. Then there are those for whom recreation comes in a call to family reunions in far off or familiar places. Wherever the destination, the place of recreation is a desired location.

In our text Jesus’ place of recreation was not an “escape from” but a “fleeing to.” Jesus wasn’t looking to get away from the daily grind but to get connected to His Divine Father. “Jesus withdrew to solitary places and prayed.” There in His Father’s company Jesus was prepared once more for His mission and ministry.

If Jesus was in need of such, how much more are we?

Here in the starting gate of summer, Luke invites us, through the story of Jesus, to remember that not only are we in need of recreation but we are also in need of some re-creation. Yes, we need to be recharged; we need to escape; we need some solitary time and place; but we are also in need to being restored once more to the image of our Maker and the attitude of our Savior.

So, as summer finds us on a blanket or lounge chair, in the driver’s or passenger’s seat of an RV or on the bench of a museum, remember that the primary place where we find re-creation is a pew in the house of the Lord and anywhere we sit ourselves to read the Word, to hear His voice, and then lift ours to Him in prayer.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer