Are You A Toothless Saw? (a Steve Orr Lectionary reflection)

Are you familiar with Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?

 

Covey describes seven changes we can make to enhance our daily lives, improve our relationships, and bring us closer to loved ones. It’s a remarkable book. Habit 7, "Sharpen the Saw," is explained like this: A man sawing a tree says he's too busy to take a break and sharpen his saw. As a result, he is eventually unable to cut any part of the tree because the saw blade has become too dull to function as intended. Carried to the extreme, that saw would eventually become toothless through overuse. 

 

Habit 7 is about our need for renewal in four dimensions: physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual. That’s not a new idea. Many of the "habits" discussed in the book align with Biblical exhortations. This one lines up perfectly with the commandment to take a Sabbath day each week, to pause for a day of renewal, to wait upon the Lord. 

 

That should be reason enough for us to make this habit a part of our lives. But if more is needed, we can find it in this week's Matthew passage. Jesus tells his disciples to: “Be ready because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him." 

 

We must prepare if we are to be ready for the Lord's return. Since no one except God knows the day or hour of His return, we need to heed that exhortation to set aside a day each week to recharge and renew. And to be able to stay alert through the night, one must rest during the day. 

 

So today, I sharpened the saw.

 

A part of me wanted to get up and get going, to accomplish…well, anything. Surely, my little urgency reasoned, there must be something that needed doing. How, it kept pressing, could I keep wasting so much time? I had to constantly resist the urge to do. 

But I did resist. I slept in, read. Spent my time doing very little, physically. I thought about stuff. Dreamed about the future. Thought about loved ones. Let go of those things over which I have no control. Gave myself a good and thorough pause.

 

Because you can't do the work with a toothless saw.

 

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PHOTO: Steve Orr

The Pause That Refreshes: a reflection on the Sabbath and a little CocaCola history

https://www.bufordcoc.com/the-pause-that-refreshes/

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As is our practice, DaySpring’s Lectionary breakfast will not meet this Friday morning. Included below are the links to the scripture readings for Thanksgiving and the First Sunday of Advent. 

Have a blessed Thanksgiving. See you in December!

Steve

 

 

READINGS FOR 

THANKSGIVING DAY, USA (NOVEMBER 24, 2022)

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Psalm 100

Philippians 4:4-9

John 6:25-35

 

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=291

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Cx_ThanksgivingDay.pdf

READINGS FOR 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (NOVEMBER 27, 2022) AND THE COMING WEEK

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44

 

Find them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=1

Print them here:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_FirstSundayofAdvent.pdf