pastoral

1.  (1) :  of, relating to, or composed of shepherds or herdsmena pastoral people, seminomadic in their habits — J. M. Mogey(2) :  devoted to or based on livestock raising a pastoral economy b :  of or relating to the countryside :  not urban a pastoral settingc :  portraying or expressive of the life of shepherds or country people especially in an idealized and conventionalized manner pastoral poetry a pastoral symphonyd :  pleasingly peaceful and innocent :  idyllic pastoral dreams were shattered by the year’s round of … unwelcome visitors, ruinous floods and procrastinating workmen — Betty Fussell

2.  of or relating to spiritual care or guidance especially of a congregation pastoralcounselingb :  of or relating to the pastor of a church pastoral duties ( Merriam Webster)

What do you thinik about when you look at this scene?

It was an accidental find. I was driving along a country road and glanced to my left. It instantly captivated me. I had to turn around and take it all in slowly. I sat there with my car flashers blinking in the untraveled roadway staring at bliss. Pure bliss. A group of cows resting in the shade, swatting a fly now and then, looking back at me with equal wonder. I suppose it’s not just every day that they get such open admiration as they congregate under a shade tree.

Their barn was visible just around the curve. Smart cows! There were several groups of cows standing or lying in the shade.

They looked back at me with mild interest and then seemed to dismiss me. The small brown calf stood up and looked back again. He was the youngest and you could see how the herd protected and coddled him. The colors were so vibrant. The black and white cow, the solid black cow, the brown cow, the brown calf – all captured in my eye-against the green, grays and tans of the forest seemed to send a message of rest.

Let us rest in pastoral settings.

Rest is a spiritual principle, as well. One day a week was set up from the beginning of time. In Genesis  2:1-3, we are told to work for 6 days and reserve the seventh or sabbath for a day of rest.The Hebrew word “rested” is the root word for “sabbath.” It means to cease from busyness. Exodus 31:17 says that God “ceased from labor, and was refreshed.” The fact that God blessed and sanctified (= “set apart”) this day at the completion of creation implies that we are to set apart one day in seven to be different from our normal routine, to be refreshed and reflect on our Creator. Amen!