From the Rector...
By the time you read this we shall be well into the
holiday season and the children will be looking forward
to the end of term. We hope there will be some lazy
hazy days ahead but I am writing this on a June day
when yet again we have succumbed and put the
heating on for an hour. But let's hope for some
barbecue weather with sunshine which seems to lift
everyone's hearts and warmth which gives us a feeling of liberation as we shed coats and heavy shoes and can leave doors and windows open without someone shouting "were you born in a barn?"
We are off to Normandy to see the Bayeux tapestry and the beaches where the Normandy landings took place. We had thought of camping, but on the day friends offered us the use of their tent, Philip booked us into a hotel so I think he must have had a change of heart! Whatever the accommodation, we are looking forward to a change and a rest.
In the very first bible story, which is the story of Creation, we are told that, at the end of all His work, God rests. The bible contains a lot of wisdom for us about the way we live our lives, and if God rests after work, we can infer that it is good for us to do so as well. Today we talk about work/life balance. Not everyone is very good at it. Sometimes people only feel of value if they are working, which is sad. Sometimes they actually feel guilty if they read, watch television or in any other way 'chill out' because they feel they should be 'doing' all the time.
We do not have to prove our worth to God. Here are Jesus' words,
"Not one sparrow falls to the ground without God's knowledge. As for you even the hairs of your head have all been counted, so do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Rest is good for us, it gives us time for reflection, vision, recreation and imagining, so why not take time off this summer and have that wonderful God-given experience of being re-created.
With best wishe
Heather Butcher