An old racing dog who spent his whole life chasing a mechanical rabbit one day simply stopped running, because he discovered that what he was chasing was not even real. That story opens a reflection on one morning in the life of Jesus, who after an exhausting day of healing rose before dawn and went out to a lonely place to pray (Mark 1). The sermon is about the art the Church Fathers called holy idleness, the royal waste of time spent with God, the time none of us supposedly has. Listen if you sense that your own well is slowly running dry.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Mark 1:32-39, Mark describes an exhausting Sabbath for Jesus, after which He gets up before dawn to pray. What does this contrast tell us about where Jesus drew His strength for ministry?
- When Simon says, "Everyone is looking for you", Jesus replies, "Let us go somewhere else". How did His time in prayer help Jesus stay focused on His mission rather than the crowd's expectations?
- The preacher tells of an old racing dog that discovered the rabbit it chased was never real. What do you chase most in your daily race, and what actually remains from it?
- The sermon calls prayer a "royal waste of time" because from the outside it looks like doing nothing. What makes it hardest for you to spend time with God that does not feel productive?
- The preacher stresses that small regular habits change our lives, while one-off efforts, like eating a salad once every six months, change nothing. How regular is your time with God, and what could help strengthen it?
- Brother Lawrence prayed while working in the kitchen, and the missionary's African friend simply said, "I saw you". What one practice of pausing before God do you want to start this week, so that in the evening you can say, "God, I saw You"?
