Whole Rest

"God Himself is at rest.

And at the end of the journey

we'll surely rest with God."

Hebrews 4:10, MSG

I have spent the majority of my life as an academic person and I must say that breaks are some of the most anticipated features of academe. Students, staff, and faculty alike look forward to having a most blessed respite from the daily grind. Simply put, the idea of a break is one that is always welcome. 


The unmistakable longing we have for rest is one that has been placed within us by our good Creator to help us remember who He is and who we are. Out of the dust He made us, but He made us in His likeness. Therefore, just as He rested after His work of creating, we, too, need to pause at regular intervals and become refreshed.


Yet, not all of us fully appreciate the idea of true rest, whether in life or in music. As soon as we get a free minute, we are busy filling it with mindless chatter or doodling. Though we take all kinds of breaks, we tend to overcrowd them with incessant activity. At times, even our vacations lose their intended purpose. They include so much running around that they often become more tiring than the actual load we carry in our jobs. 


Similarly, in music, I find that the younger or the more inexperienced the performers, the more uncomfortable they are with silence. Even more experienced musicians have to remind themselves from time to time that it is alright to observe the rests indicated in the music. It is as if there is this magnetic pull inside of us toward more and more sound. This tendency in us has but conditioned us and our audiences to grow uncomfortable with silence, which partly explains the decline in recital attendance. A loud rock band is more likely to attract huge crowds than the most accomplished classical guitarist because of the sheer volume of sound generated.


Theoretically speaking, rests are signs that indicate a time of silence or a brief interruption in the continuum of a musical execution. They exist to frame specific sections of music and to heighten our aural readiness for what is to come next. Whole rests are even more effective in that they require more attentiveness since their duration encompasses a whole measure. 


Still, that rationale does not convince every musician of the importance of musical rests as suggested by the following interaction. 


This seemingly innocent question was posed in a freshman level sight-singing class: 


"Why do we have to have these stupid rests in a score?"  
(And yes, for those who are theory teachers, the previous question came [unfortunately] from a singer). 


The wise professor calmly answered, 


". . . Because music would cease to exist without the blessing of silence . . . there would simply be this unending cacophony . . . and you, Miss Soprano, would be out of a job since you must breathe in order to sing." 


Ouch! Despite the redness that covered her face, I believe that young singer grasped the importance of the teacher’s statement.


Humorous or hurtful though it was, the previous exchange poignantly made me aware of the fact that without silence, there can be no music. Without music, there can be no heartbeat. And without a heartbeat, there can be no life. This connection between silence, music, heartbeat, and life points me directly to God's Word.  A passage that has served me well in silent meditation is Psalm 4:4 which says, 

". . . When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent."

Silence affords us the opportunity to place our hearts before the mirror of Christ so the hidden desires of our hearts can be exposed and cleansed by the Master refiner. When that occurs, silence ushers us into a place where we can hear the beauteous voice of Christ, which is music to our ears. The Word of the Lord, according to Psalm 19, "revives the soul and gives joy to the heart," creating the kind of heartbeat that produces and sustains life – such a life that even the angels pale in comparison.


Christ offers us the only rest that we truly need but we seem to go in all kinds of directions looking for cheap, unfulfilling, depleting rest. We are a plugged-in culture and, as such, are accustomed to seek “rest” in fluff – continuous white noise. We have grown incredibly restless, contentious, and haggard in our pursuit for more relaxation. Whole industries are based on vacation, entertainment, leisure, and pleasure such as resorts, movie theaters, tours, etc . . . Despite all these major conveniences, we still find ourselves more tired. How often do we jokingly say to each other, "I need a vacation from my vacation?" After a long day of work or school, how often do we long to park ourselves in front of the TV or mindlessly surf site after site on the internet? 


I wonder how much delight we would bring to God’s heart if we would include rest, whole rest in our lives. When a break is coming our way, could our plans include a time of restoration with God? Could we possibly survive as we go from activity to activity with an occasional fast-food prayer? Often, these leisure plans require a great deal of money and time -- the two "lords" of our era. Are we allowing our time and money to dethrone Jesus with our vacation plans? 


It is staggering to think that Jesus is doing something entirely different with His "vacation." Ever since He ascended to heaven, the Holy Scriptures tell us that He is sitting (resting, vacationing) at the right hand of God. Doing what? He is preparing a place for you and me, watching over us, grieving when we disobey, rejoicing when we honor Him, providing for our needs, working tirelessly to bring His kingdom to completion, orchestrating the events leading to His union with His beloved church. In His vacation, He is hard at work preparing for eternal intimacy with His bride. 


What about us? 
What are we doing for our gloriously handsome groom? 
Are we resting in Him or are we running from Him like Jonah?


My prayer is that we will cherish His words found in Matthew 11:28-29, 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 

for I am gentle and humble in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls." 

Jesus, the Music of all ages, the Heartbeat of every believer, the Hound of heaven, beckons us to enter His rest, true rest. Will we not we heed His call?


Lord Jesus, we are so grateful for Your invitation. We are indeed weary from trying so hard to be in charge of our own lives. We are tired of giving our attention to ephemeral recreation instead of truly soaking ourselves into the peace You provide. Now, we come to You and surrender our hearts to You so we can rest in You for all eternity. In Christ’s holy name, Amen!