Last Friday, I drove my car over to my father’s garage to change the brakes. Four years since purchasing it, I still had my original brakes on. Not too shabby. They were overdue for a change.  The twists and turns of Sussex County roads and the stop-and-go of Route 80 traffic are far more taxing on car brakes then the straight, flat roads of the Midwest.  Upon closer inspection, my pads were much lower than I thought. Not dangerous or deadly, yet… but well on their way. They would have been screeching and squealing in no time.
 
For most people, the fall season really starts to speed up our schedules. Relaxing days of summer are gone. No more lazy days. No more vacations. The lakes and beaches are nearly closed for the summer.  Back to reality. No more sleeping in. Time to set the too-early alarm clock again.  Back to commitments and obligations. We are once again bound to schedules and timelines beyond our control. School starts. Work meetings resume. Business travels are booked. Even our church calendar, as you’ll notice below, ramps up again. Fast paced. Our family calendar is once again quickly filling up with a color-coded array of school commitments, practice and game times, orthodontist appointments, and so much more.
 
I know my family is not alone. Living in northern New Jersey, we are no strangers to the “Go, Go, Go” mindset that is ever so prevalent in the upper northeast. All gas, no brakes. It is an unavoidable demarcation to living in this part of the country. Sadly, most people wear this rat-race mentality as a badge of honor; they see it as a good thing. Something to be proud of, a way to get ahead.  However, like the beaches along the Jersey coastline all of last week, allow me to raise the bright red caution flags!  There is a better way, a more balanced and healthier approach.  It would do us well to slow down and check our spiritual brake pads, or more aptly spiritual break pads.  We ought to make sure we take time to rest, time to be with the Lord, time to worship, time to pray.  Yeah, I get it… “Football practices, doctor appointments, visiting family, blah, blah, blah.”  As enjoyable as these things may be, these are merely excuses and distractions that the devil successfully uses to sidetrack and confuse us.  It takes our eyes off Jesus because we are so obsessed with keeping up with ways and expectations of this world. Before too long, we feel overwhelmed and overburdened.  We are careening down the highway of life, and we can’t stop.  Have to keep up. Have to “go, go, go” and we have no time to slow down. 
 
Listen up my friends… take heed, lest we crash and burn. Pull into our Heavenly Father’s garage. Sit down in His sanctuary. Turn off the proverbial car for an hour.  Let our graciously patient God check the pads, rotors, and everything else that’s going on under your hood.  Give Him a few minutes to work on you a bit. Let Him replace what needs replacing with His comfort and strength.  In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  What a beautiful invitation, and a much need prescription to prevent us from screeching and squealing our way through our chaotic calendars and our tumultuous timelines.
 
Slow down.
​Rest. Brake. Break.
 
Lay off the gas and allow God to recharge you in these weekly (daily) moments when life exhausts you.
 
 “To be fully alive, you need time with God to recharge.” (Craig Groeschel)
 
“He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Last week, our family intended to get away for a mini-vacation. Now that the youth gathering is over and our baseball season has finally ended, we wanted to get away for some family time during the small window before fall activities start up. Head north up to Maine where we have yet to go. We’ve heard so many good things. Unfortunately, and for a variety of different reasons, our plans never really came together. Acadia State Park will have to wait for now.  Bummer. Such is life. The best laid plans…
 
My family is certainly not the first to have our plans derailed by circumstances beyond our control. We are not the first to not take the vacation. We are not unique in having plans never come to fruition. Not the first, and definitely not the last.  We’ve all been there plenty of times before. Plans crumble, intentions fall apart.    The Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday is from the prophet Isaiah.  In this reading, we are reminded that in a world of trouble and unrest, idolatry and best-laid plans there is only one steady solution. The ways of this world may lead to disappointment and death, but the Lord provides the way out.

The verses prior to this reading paint a terrible picture of judgement against those who reject and mock the Lord; but we are then reminded that God provides a way of escape for those who trust in Him. He promises that while the many plans and efforts of men will be consumed by fire; those that remain faithful will worship the Lord forever. “And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them,” the Lord declares (66:18).  Even hundreds of years before His arrival, the prophet Isaiah anticipated the sign. Jesus is that sign. In Jesus, the ultimate plan of redemption and salvation comes to fruition.  This plan is none other than God’s Himself and cannot be foiled. It cannot crumble or fall apart. What a beautiful, permanent vacation awaits us in the remade heavens and earth of our God!
 
“The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.” (Proverbs 15:26)

Earlier this week, I read an article that said only 25% of U.S. adults report having a clear sense of personal purpose which they can easily articulate. It’s a sadly high, and yet unsurprising number.  Peel back the rat race and the vanity of vanities—the thirst for money and fame (as Dave so eloquently shared with us this past Sunday)—and Christian and non-Christian people alike are asking the haunting questions like: “What is my purpose? Why am I here? What is the point?”
 
If people cannot easily articulate their purpose, they settle for lesser things… like throwing themselves into the daily rush of “keeping up” with tasks and deadlines. Without a greater sense of purpose, they substitute activity for accomplishment. And the fruit of all their efforts is often only exhaustion, frustration, and anxiety. Sound familiar?  Not surprisingly, most churches struggle with the same question of purpose/mission. A congregation who cannot easily articulate their purpose will also settle for lesser things… like throwing themselves into the weekly rush of “keeping up” with services and programs. Without a greater sense of purpose, congregations substitute activity for accomplishment. Without thought or foresight, they keep doing the things “we’ve always done.”  They may be busy, but they may just be going through the motions. And the fruit of all their efforts is often only exhaustion, frustration, and anxiety.  And, worse, the surrounding community or even the members within are left untransformed by the congregation.
 
The Good News is that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, your individual purpose, as well as our congregation’s purpose is clear (and easily articulated). We are loved and forgiven by the Father through Jesus, and then commissioned to go find people who similarly need His love and forgiveness, too.  Spoiler alert… that’s ALL people.  Over the past many months, church leadership has sought to clarify our purpose.  We shared this at our Voter’s Meeting back in June. Taking our cue from the abundant and prescriptive pages of holy scripture, this is how we phrased the purpose and identity of our church.  As redeemed children and grateful servants of the King of kings, we actively and intentionally strive to be… connecting people to a lifelong relationship with Jesus and a faith that rejoices in His promise of eternal life—by making Him known wherever we live, work, and play.  This is who we are as a church. This is our purpose. Every idea we have, every effort we make, every group we organize, or every project we start should be about this very thing.  This is why we are here!  This is why we do what we do.
 
The early Christian priest and historian, Jerome (who lived around 400 A.D. and translated the Bible into Latin), tells a powerful story about the elderly Apostle John. In his commentary on Galatians, he wrote: “The blessed John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus until extreme old age. His disciples would carry him to church but he could not muster the voice to speak many words. During individual gatherings he usually said nothing but, ‘Little children, love one another.’ The disciples and brothers in attendance, because they always heard the same words, finally said, ‘Teacher, why do you always say this?’ He replied with a line worthy of John, ‘Because it is the Lord’s commandment and if it alone is kept, it is sufficient.’”  John’s purpose was known, simple and clear.  Ours is as well!  What does it mean to be part of King of Kings Lutheran Church?  Connecting people to Jesus—where we live, work, and play!
 
“You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.” (Rick Warren)
“When you realize God's purpose for your life isn't just about you, He will use you in a mighty way.” (Tony Robbins)