THE RHYTHMS OF GRACE by Terry Benson

“Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”   Matthew 11:29 (Message)

I don’t know why some Christians are offended by rhythm. “Drums should never be brought into a church” I’ve heard them say. When I was a teenager playing in a folk trio around Southern California it was guitars. I plucked a stand-up Bass Fiddle and my friends strummed guitars, and even that was too much for some church folks. Too much rhythm! I suppose what they hated about it is what I love about it – it helps you feel the music. It invites you into patterns woven with melody and harmony—moving, changing, enveloping and connecting.  I’m so glad we appreciate rhythm at North Hills – rhythm guitars, rhythmic drums and percussion. I can’t even imagine our worship without it.

I love the rhythm of song and sound. And I love the rhythm of Grace – that’s how the Message Bible puts it. When Jesus invites us into His Sabbath rest of grace, He also invites us to learn the complementing pattern to that rest – service. The tension of service and the release of rest – it’s what makes it “rhythm.” If we only bask in His mercy and forgiveness and passively enjoy His peace and love, we are in danger of becoming spiritually lethargic, maybe even to the point of feeling “entitled” and “privileged.” Service is the exercise that gets our life flowing and our hearts knowing what Jesus means when He says, “I came to serve, not to be served.”

This passage in Matthew 11:29 actually describes an ancient method that was used to help train oxen pull heavy loads or plow fields. An experienced ox would be paired with a newbie by a yoke, a kind of brace that joined the two oxen at the neck so that when the one who knew what he was doing would pull, it helped the other one get into the act as well. The yoke was not a burden but something that made the job easier. So Jesus says, “Look, since I’ve been at this business of ministering to others for a long time, why don’t you join me? You’ll learn how to do it by doing it alongside Me. You’ll get into the swing of it – the rhythm of it – in no time.” And instead of plowing a field, we are working the fields of the world, sowing God’s seeds of love and mercy so there can be a great harvest of saved human beings.

Rest and serve, serve and rest – that’s what the Sabbath Way is all about. Accepting Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and find peace and life in His salvation, then partnering with Him in serving the needs we see in the world around us. A beautiful rhythm of God’s grace. Now that’s a beat I can really get into!

T.B.

Think about it:  Are you ready to be mentored by the best Drummer ever?