Wide Open, Week 2: Sabbatical

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of rest and listening to God, using the story of the prophet Elijah as a backdrop.

Listen to the April 26, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Most of us don't stop until we have no choice. We push through, we give more, we tell ourselves the right moment to rest is just around the corner. And then one day we end up under the broom tree — exhausted, depleted, and wondering what went wrong. This message draws on one of the Bible's most surprisingly human stories: the prophet Elijah, who pulled off one of the greatest spiritual victories in the Old Testament and then immediately fell apart. God's response wasn't a pep talk or a to-do list. It was a meal, a nap, and a still small voice. Using Elijah's story as a backdrop for a pastoral sabbatical sendoff, this message asks a question worth sitting with — are you living an obedient, listening life, or an absurd, noisy one? And what would it actually take to slow down enough to hear God again? https://www.zumc.org/sermons

People in this episode

Host: Zionsville United Methodist Church

Topics covered

• sabbatical
• rest
• spirituality
• listening to God
• Elijah
• worship service

Keywords

• sabbatical
• Elijah
• rest
• spiritual victory
• listening life
• worship service

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Zionsville United Methodist Church

Places: Zionsville, IN

More episodes of Zionsville United Methodist Church

• Wide Open, Week 8: VBS Sunday · June 7, 2026 · 12 min
• Wide Open, Week 7: Transformational Worship · May 31, 2026 · 31 min
• Wide Open, Week 6: I’ve Got Questions · May 24, 2026 · 24 min
• Wide Open, Week 5: Craig MacFarlane · May 17, 2026 · 29 min
• Wide Open, Week 4: Mother’s Day · May 10, 2026 · 31 min
• Wide Open, Week 3: Worry · May 3, 2026 · 17 min