The Unforced Rhythms of Grace by Bill Crofton

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the UNFORCED rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep COMPANY with me and you’ll learn to live FREELY and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

I think it was close to twelve years ago when I read that line in the Message. A student from Miami had been “warned” against reading the Message paraphrase. The young man asked me to read the Message and get back to him with an opinion. When I got home the next week, I purchased one. Eugene Peterson had only “translated” (paraphrased) the New Testament and without verses, as the original Koine Greek. I began that week and could not put it down. Tears flowed; at times I laughed (a holy laugh), and at moments it seemed as my heart just flipped over in my chest. I have not missed a morning since that day. It speaks to me in ways that no other version ever has.

When I came to these verses in Chapter 11, I felt as if a ton of “religious” trash was lifted from my shoulders. Christianity was about Jesus – who knew? I was to follow Him, not an organization, per se. My first loyalty was to walk with Him, observe Him, “hang out” with Him, dance with Him. Wow! I don’t even know how to dance, but He will teach me. He will force nothing on me. The three “W”s is what I need to concentrate on.

WALK with Jesus,
WORK with Jesus,
and WATCH Jesus. Hmm, I can get used to this.

Let’s be honest; life is hard, responsibilities weigh us down, and the job of “staying true to God,” as defined by some, can be exhausting. You get tired of the grind, even burned out with the journey. A point comes where you are just bummed out from “falling short” of the mark, the mark you somehow allowed others to define for you. And Jesus comes along and says, “Hey, My yoke is easy.”

Don’t get me wrong. Jesus (at least as it appears to me) does not offer us a lawn chair and soda—the yoke is still an oxen’s tool for working hard. But it’s a special kind of yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than ours. Someone with more pulling power is up front taking the lead. Suddenly you find yourself sharing life’s responsibilities with a great Partner—and now that frown is turning into a smile, and that gripe into a song. Low and behold, you begin to DANCE!

How about it, do your hear the music of the Master’s “praise band?” Is the “rhythm” beginning to draw you in? Go ahead, take that first step, move to its beat, dance. I promise, you’ll like it. ☺

Bill Crofton
Chaplain, Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
FHC Member