Rhythms of the Pasture

[pastorsbru]

I just returned from a week’s vacation at the beach with my extended family. My brother and sister’s families each spent close to a month of their income to rent a house right on the beach. For a fifth of the cost my wife and I rented a house nearby. Every house in the area we visited was rented or occupied. There was a 2-hour traffic jam to leave the area on Saturday morning when everyone’s rental agreements turned over. Reflecting about the cost of such vacations on my return, it struck me that so many people make great sacrifices, largely in order to escape the rhythms or expectations of ordinary living. Everybody needs vacation and adventure, but I find that those who are consumed by their work or other stressors of life, often have a different sense of NEEDING their vacation.
How might this apply to the rhythms we set for our flocks or congregations?
As a child I often helped on my Uncle’s dairy farm in the summertime. There was a strict schedule for the pastures. The cows were always moved from pastures at very specific times, and the dairy cows were milked on a strict schedule. I imagine the feeding and grazing schedule on a sheep farm would be similar. For the health of the herd, the rhythm or schedule must be sustainable. Is the rhythm of my congregation sustainable? Or will people be desperate for a vacation?
Laniak describes a similar question posed to an ambitious leader, “Do you give your people a chance to rest?�