July Sermon Series: IMPORTANCE OF SELF CARE Chillax Psalm 127

July 26, 2015 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Mark 6:30-34 Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson Asbury United Methodist Church in Harrington, Delaware

Chillax Definition of Chillax according to urbandictionary.com. A mixture between the terms "chill out" and "relax". Dude, just chillax, just because it's not your birthday doesn't mean that you won't have fun in the monkey jamboree.

Psalm 127 New International Version (NIV) A song of ascents. Of Solomon. 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. 1

Mark 6:30-34 New International Version (NIV) 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

INTRODUCTION In the 1960s, when I was in Elementary School, a couple of times a year my dad would write a note and I would give it to my teacher.

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The letter would say, “Please excuse Larry from school on such and such a day. He will be spending the day with his father.” When the big day arrived, dad would take me fishing. To my knowledge, none of my friends ever got out of school to go fishing with their dad. I absolutely loved it. Sometimes we would go to Redondo Beach and catch bonita in the warm waters near the power plant. Sometimes we would go to Long Beach at midnight to board an overnight head boat. There were bunks in the hold where we slept. At sunrise we would find ourselves far beyond the sight of land, in international waters, where we caught all sorts of interesting fish. 3

Sometimes we would go to Crystal lake and catch sunfish and rainbow trout. I remember those experiences and what made them super great was not only did I get to spend the day with dad, I also skipped school with permission. A vacation doesn’t have to last a long time. It just has to be something nice that breaks up the monotony and gives you a chance to have fun with people you love. A vacation is supposed to be refreshing to your heart, soul, and mind. All of us need to take a vacation now and then. It’s an important part of taking care of yourself.

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Jesus took time off In Mark 6:31 the Bible says, Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Christianity is a do-as-I-do religion. Jesus sets the example, and we follow his lead. Here is a memory passed down by the apostles where Jesus took some time so he could rest and recuperate. While Jesus is God, he is also fully human. People need vacations. Even Jesus needed rest and refreshment. 5

Summertime at Asbury During the month of July I’ve been preaching a series of sermons about the importance of self care. In order to love and care for others we have to do that for ourselves first. I preached about

forgiving yourself, letting a few things go, and the value of strong friendships.

Today I am talking about the importance of vacations. It is summer and a lot of us go on a vacation this time of year. The Delaware State Fair is in full swing and many of our members are volunteers at the fairgrounds. (Take a few moments and dialogue about the names of people working or being a volunteer at the Fair) 6

Dave Buck Pete’s II Susan Welch Administration Building Snooky Collins Collins Root Beer Stand & Ice Karen Hyde, Molly, Dane & Katie Sears, and Chad Robinson at Kimo’s Ice Cindy Brode Health Center Jerrie Outten Trams Gary & Melissa Miller Lions Kay Betts Quillen Arena Directors Bruce Betts Anne Minner, Harold Brode, Rob Taylor, Edgar Welch Not to mention

Lt. Kenny Brode Harrington Police Ambulance Crews Harrington Fire Co.

Summer is a great time of year because schools are closed. The weather is hot. This is a great time of year! I love this time of year because it gives us all a little breathing room. 7

In September the pace of our lives picks up again with back to school, and fall events and projects. All of our groups and organizations go into overdrive. That’s great. I’m glad that many of us have jobs and responsibilities. We are ambitious, and that’s a good thing. We also need an opportunity to kick back and say “Thank you God for loving me unconditionally, with all my faults and hang-ups.” Application I’m going to conclude my sermon by giving you three practical things you can do.

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1

Thank God for the sleep you got last night. Even if you got very little sleep, that's OK. Don't worry about what you didn't get. Praise God for what you did receive. God honors praise. He knows you need sleep. Thank him for what you have received, and he will bless you for that.

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Thank God for the vacations you have enjoyed in the past. I praise God for the times my dad took me fishing. Those were little vacations. Don't worry about what you didn't get. Praise God for what you did receive. God honors praise. He knows you need vacations. Thank him for what you have already received, and he will bless you for that. 9

3

Humbly ask God for opportunities to relax. Put this in God's hands and trust him for some time away from the stressors and the pressures in your life. Tell God you are going to trust him for the details. He might give you something small, or something large, something familiar, or something you would have never thought of. God honors faith. He knows you need renewal and inner peace. Thank him in advance for his answers that are already on their way, and he will bless you for that.

Praise God twice for what you have already received, then humbly ask him for what you need now, trusting him to answer in his own way. 10

Three Step Prayer to Help You Tap Into God’s Amazing Chillaxing Power ONE

Dear God, thank you for the sleep you gave me last night. All rest comes from you, and you have been kind to me every night of my life. THANK YOU! Thank you for peace that passes understanding. Thank you for letting me cast my cares on you. Thank you for holding me in your arms of unconditional love.

TWO

Thank you for the vacations I have already enjoyed. Thank you for the pictures I have taken, the places I have visited, and the people I have enjoyed being with. My life has not been all work. There has been some fun. There have been times of refreshing in my past. THANK YOU FOR THOSE TIMES!

THREE

Please help me with my vacation needs this year. I’d like to have a break from my routine that helps me relax, be refreshed, and makes me more enthusiastic about my life. I will trust you for the details, and look for open doors. Your plans are always better than my plans, so help me with my trust levels! Help me be grateful for weekends and holidays, big trips and little trips, and family gatherings.

By faith, I thank you for hearing my prayers, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.