One Word
This winter on The Daily Pattern we’re in a series called One Word. Each day we take one word – a feeling or circumstance – and bring a word from God to it. Let the Word of God speak to your life.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5) O Lord, I am lowly and humble. You alone are my inheritance. Amen.
Word: Genesis 2:2-3
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things “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.”
Meditation
Boredom by Megan Roegner
As a mother of three and a teacher of many, there are multiple times a week when I confront a young person’s tragic eyes as they sigh, “I’m bored.” For them, boredom is a form of torture. From their perspective boredom is, as Tolstoy wrote, “the desire for desires.” It’s a restlessness, a need for something vague or unknown, therefore hard to fulfill.
But for me, there are few things I like more than a nice boring day. As I write this, I’m looking out of my living room window, watching the snow fall and relishing the thought that maybe for a few days there will be nothing to do and nowhere to go. Sweatpants and a fat book on medieval history are calling my name.
The prospect of a few days of boredom is delightful to me because I have a life full of things to do that are important and interesting to me, like taking care of my family, teaching, and working on my doctorate. The writer Robert Pirsig once said, “Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.” There is a sense that people need a little boredom in order to recharge enough to continue on in their non-boring endeavors.
When I think about both responses to boredom—disgust and relief—I am reminded that we are made in the image of a creative God. When our innovative minds go for a long period of time without being engaged, we feel trapped and desperate. But when we are fulfilled in our vocations, when we have plenty of good work to do, we are wired to rest. The desire to do and the desire to rest are both good and gifts from God.
Perhaps when we encounter boredom, we should pause and reflect on how we respond to it. If the idea of boredom makes us upset or feel trapped, perhaps there is something that God is leading us to create, do, or discover. If, on the other hand, all of our wildest dreams involve indulging in mind-numbing pursuits, we might need to recharge. Remember the model the God gave us—after our good work, we are made to rest.
Father, help us discover the work that you have for us and help us do it well. Let us find the value in rest while we do it. Amen.
Prayer for Family
· For my immediate family (parents, spouse, siblings).
· For extended family (cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents)
· For close friends that are as family to me.
· For those who don’t have families, or whose families are broken.
· For forgiveness and reconciliation where there is division in my family.
· For provision where there is need in my family.
· For God to be the foundation, and the cross the center of my family.
· For a generation yet unborn, future members of our family.
Closing Prayer
O Lord and King, your Kingdom comes even without our prayer. But we pray that it would also come among us. We are desperate for your reign and rule, for all we see is rebellion. Come into my heart, my home, my family, my work, my church, my community. Rule with justice and with mercy. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.