Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest…
Gathering Recap:
“Come to me all who are weary…and I will give you rest.”
From our gathering on 7/19/2026:
We gathered together two Sundays ago to continue our exploration on The Sayings of Jesus. Our exploration was centered on the scripture Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all who are weary, and are carrying heavy burdens, 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
We spent much of the conversation wrestling with the image of the yoke. A yoke is a wood bar or frame that joins two draft animals-- such as oxen-- together to do work together. (It can also be a wooden bar or frame fitted to a person’s shoulders to equalize a load of something they’re carrying.) The image of the yoke brought to mind a couple of realities: 1. Doing things in tandem with someone else usually makes many burdens lighter. 2. Jesus’ yoke might not have really been all that easy.
In regards to the latter, we talked about how difficult Jesus’ ministry was, and how the burden he carried eventually led him to the cross. As one of our members said, “his burden wasn’t light.” But/and, he also gave us the blueprint for how to love and care for others. And in this scripture, he reminds us the need for reciprocity in our care; he reminds us that we, too, occasionally need others to take up our burdens.
After our conversation, we explored a somatic/embodiment practice known as “Body to Body/Joint Struggle”. In this practice, we took note of the feelings and sensations of what it’s like to feel someone’s support and solidarity, and what it’s like to be that support and solidarity for others. (If you’d like to explore this practice on your own or with others, the instructions, lineage, and description on are included below.) The overall intention was to become more aware of what it’s like to give and receive care as a way of understanding how this shows up when we are actively giving or receiving care in our lives.
It can be hard to ask for help. Those of us gathered on Sunday affirmed that it’s usually easier to give care than it is to receive it. We reflected on how hard independence and “I can do it myself” mentality is pushed in our culture, and brainstormed ways to embrace interdependence instead. We took our counter-cultural musings back to the subject of rest, and wrestled with how capitalism encourages bigger, faster, and more; we turned back to Jesus for ways to move more sustainably.
If you missed last week’s gathering, you can explore the themes and musings with the resources we used below. If you were present last week, you can use these resources as a reflection point to explore how these themes have been showing up in your week so far.
Questions for reflection:
What does weariness feel like in your body? Where is it located What emotions or sensations do you experience when you are weary or burdened?
What is your relationship to rest? To care?
What is your relationship to giving care to others? To receiving care for yourself?
Songs to listen to:
Reflection from Jacob:
The Band's "The Weight" - released in 1968 - was written by band member Robbie Robertson, who described the topic of the lyrics as "the impossibility of sainthood." Through this story we meet a cast of nebulous strangers. The narrator seems continuously baffled by the outcomes of his interactions with these folks. How shocking and relieving does it then seem to hear the iconic refrain come back time and time again. Despite these idiosyncratic and sometimes off putting (or humorous!) interactions, weight is still lifted and carried collectively through these transient relationships, despite their obvious flaws. As in the Gospels, perhaps it's in finding connection and community in the most unexpected of places where we feel the biggest weight lifted from us, and where we can provide this relief to others as well.
Practice & Meditation:
Somatic Centering from Staci K. Haines (5 minutes):
Body-to-Body Joint Struggle
From Eliana Rubin’s book “Taking the State Out of the Body”
Purchase the book to find the practice here.
Meditation: Ground Down
Written & orated by Bonita; produced, mixed, and mastered by Natalita.
Reflection written by Court VonLindern.